<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Lego House by accio_broom</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28791030">Lego House</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_broom/pseuds/accio_broom'>accio_broom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Muggle, BAMF Ron Weasley, F/M, Fame, Mentions of Gaslighting, Minor Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Rockstar Harry Potter, Romance, Slow Burn, mentions of mental abuse, romione</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:22:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>86,986</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28791030</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/accio_broom/pseuds/accio_broom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Muggle AU. When your best friend is a famous musician and you work as his bodyguard, life is mostly about partying and having fun.  But after missing one too many important appointments, Harry’s manager Sirius hires a Personal Assistant to get them organised.  Can Hermione Granger get them back on track before Harry’s upcoming UK tour?  And what happens when Ron is less than accepting of her being in their lives.</p><p>UPDATES EVERY TUESDAY</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>143</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Missed Appointment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Because it's only been a minute since I finished posting Begin Again (16 days, not that I'm counting) and my life is nothing without writing a multi-chapter fic.  Here is my new story and my first venture into Muggle AU.  I absolutely love this trope and I've spent the last month or so reading as many as I can get my hands on.  I just hope I do it justice.</p><p>It was inspired by Ed Sheeran's music video Lego House which stars our darling Rupert.  Hence the title.  I'm rubbish at coming up with titles and I'm running out of T-Swift songs!</p><p>Huge, huge, huge thanks go to Be11atrixthestrange and QuickSilverFox3 for beta-ing this for me.  And Nelli, HSP2200 and everyone else on the Romione Discord server for enabling me and letting me bounce ideas around.  As always if you enjoy reading this, or want to send me some constructive feedback please hit that review button.  I love discussing stuff with readers xxx</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ronald Weasley enjoyed his sleep and had done so since he was a baby, and he was now 22 so that was a long time to enjoy sleep. His mother always said that as he was so tall, he needed the extra sleep to ensure his whole body was fully charged.</p>
<p>So when the heavy curtains in his bedroom were yanked back, allowing the sunlight to come flooding into his high-ceilinged bedroom and rudely wake him up, it is safe to say that he was not impressed.</p>
<p>"Wake up, sunshine!" Ron heard Sirius' voice puncture the last remnants of the delightful dream he'd been having in which he'd been flying over the city on a broomstick. He couldn't help but feel a moment of anger at the older man; sure, Sirius Black owned this house and the bed Ron was lying in, but that didn't give him the right to intrude on his sleep so brutally. He was probably standing over Ron right now, one eyebrow raised. The thought caused a shudder to travel through his lanky, freckled body.</p>
<p>Ron lifted his head briefly from his pillow with a loud groan of protest, squinting at his boss as he stood in the bright morning sun.</p>
<p>"Is too early…" He let his head drop back to the bed, closing his eyes and seeking out a spare pillow blindly with which to shield himself from the onslaught of noise and light. Why on earth was Sirius waking him up at such a godforsaken hour anyway?!</p>
<p>"It's gone 10 o'clock Ron!" Sirius moved his hands to his hips, in a move that might have shown the ginger man that he was not impressed, had he kept his eyes open. "Which usually, I don't mind; especially given you and Harry decided to stroll in at 4am this morning. But Harry was due to be interviewed live on the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show at 8…"</p>
<p>"Did Harry miss the appointment?" Ron pulled the sheets further over his body and tried to snuggle deeper into the bed as if it could swallow him whole and save him from the berating his boss was adamant he was going to give him. "Can't see how that's my fault…"</p>
<p>"Well, since you're currently being paid a lot of money, as well as getting to live in this house rent-free, to look after him, I've decided to make it your problem. We have a meeting in half an hour. You need to be there, or you'll be at the Job Centre first thing tomorrow morning!"</p>
<p>Ron winced as Sirius stomped out of the bedroom, each fall of his foot reverberating around Ron's tired head, and let the door slam behind him. He rolled onto his back with a loud yawn, forcing his eyes open once more. The party had been a blast but given Sirius' current mood, Ron was seriously considering whether the late-night had been worth it. Partying, movie premieres and watching football games and concerts from VIP sections were the best part of his job. Last night, he and Harry had gone to the Electric Ballroom in Camden for the release party of a new artist on the label but had somehow ended up in a grungy house near Hampstead Heath.</p>
<p>He was just grateful he had decided not to drink last night so it was easy to get the two of them home. Ron had learnt early in Harry's career that trying to use public transport or calling a late-night cab only usually ended up with him getting harangued for autographs, or worse. And since protecting Harry was part of Ron's job, he needed to prevent that as much as he could.</p>
<p>Orphaned at the age of 10, Harry had moved from Godric's Hollow to Ottery St. Catchpole in Devon to live with his godfather, Sirius — a successful businessman. He had turned to music to process his feelings about his parents' untimely death; quickly learning how to play the guitar and write. At the age of 16, whilst busking on the street (mostly for something to do since he didn't need the money), Harry was spotted by a talent manager and the rest was history. Six years, and four platinum-selling albums later, Harry was still one of the most successful artists of the 21st Century, although he was mostly modest about his success.</p>
<p>Harry's soaring popularity combined with a couple of confrontations with some overzealous fans made it clear he needed a protector and Ron was the most obvious candidate. In fact, as soon as Sirius had mentioned it, Ron had volunteered for the job and probably would have taken it on unpaid if it meant being able to look after his best friend.</p>
<p>After his move to Devon, Harry had started at Ron's high school and the two had fast become friends after being allocated as buddies on their first day. The other children at the school had soon worked out that Harry was easy to bully; a skinny orphan with glasses and hair that didn't seem to want to stay tidy, he was a prime target. Ron was always quick to jump to Harry's defence, often getting himself into all sorts of calamities because of it. Ron knew how being bullied felt; he was often looked down upon too due to his family's meagre finances but he knew now how to stick up for himself.</p>
<p>It was an agreement that had worked well so far, although he had to admit that sometimes the partying got a little out of control. The job had taken them to all four corners of the world, places he probably wouldn't have gotten to by himself, so maybe he should try harder to make sure Harry was where he needed to be at the right times.</p>
<p>Ron tentatively dangled a leg out from underneath the duvet, testing the temperature in the room. Early spring in the UK was too bloody cold, and although it had been over a year since the three of them had moved into the large detached house on the outskirts of Watford, they hadn't got around to fixing the antique central heating system and the house was slow to warm. He really wanted to get one of those devices that you could manage with your smartphone, but the three of them were rubbish at that sort of thing and they found it difficult to trust outside contractors. It took a lot of vetting to ensure they weren't letting anyone sinister into the house, and Sirius often said it wasn't worth the effort, they could make do. He was more focused on Harry's career; everything else could wait — he would often say.</p>
<p>Luckily, the morning sun was heating the room up nicely and he felt brave enough to push the rest of his long body out of bed. He stumbled to the bureau to search for clean clothes, yawning and stretching as he moved. Once he was dressed, he checked his reflection; running his hand against the auburn stubble growing on his chin. Shaving would have to wait — as much as he knew Harry's missed appointment this morning was far from his fault, he didn't want to lose his job by skipping the meeting with Sirius. He was having way too much of a good time for that.</p>
<p>Ron made it to Sirius' large office on the ground floor of the mansion they fondly referred to as Grimmauld Place 30 seconds before the start of the meeting. He rolled his eyes as Harry was already sitting in one of the high-back wooden chairs; trust the git to make it on time to something after they were in trouble. He was such a kiss-ass sometimes. Ron threw himself into the spare chair, grinning as Harry smirked at him; a look that said whatever bollocking they were going to get, it would be worth it after last night.</p>
<p>When Sirius finally spoke, he used a low, quiet voice that told the boys they were in a lot of trouble. Sometimes, the voice was worse than just getting a telling off.</p>
<p>"I try to let a lot of things slide with you two; I always have done. Partying, booze, girls. I try to be lenient. I ensure you have time to do whatever you want, but in return I expect you to show up to the things I have booked in. I don't do these things for fun; they're to help Harry's career. Three times I have booked for Harry to appear on that damned radio show and every bloody time, you miss it. The car was waiting outside for you and it was literally just a quick in and out of London — do the interview, sing a song then home. You could have been back in bed by 10! How could you possibly miss it?!"</p>
<p>Harry and Ron knew the drill by now. It was better to let Sirius have his say, get it all out in the open and calm down before promising that they'd try better the next time. Otherwise, it had the potential to blow into something bigger quickly and neither of them could be bothered with it. Sirius had been known to cancel things they were looking forward to as punishment for playing up.</p>
<p>Although both boys were now 22, Sirius had always been this way. He had never married and therefore had no children of his own and was only 31 when he'd suddenly become responsible for Harry and he had felt well out of his depth. Luckily, the Weasley family had lived close by and Ron's mum had quickly sprung into action, ensuring he was kitted out with everything he needed to take on a pre-teen child. Sirius had been surprised at how quickly he'd adapted and Harry's safety and well-being had quickly become his first priority, although he had to admit he had often been a bit lax regarding disciplining the boy. When Harry had been offered a recording contract, Sirius had poured over the document; using his business knowledge to ensure Harry was getting a good deal and had been chuffed when the boy had asked him to become his manager. Now, 11 years down the line he acknowledged that he still had a lot of control over Harry's life, and therefore Ron's too but he always tried his best to be fair, recognising that they were still in their early twenties and needed as normal a life as he could get for them.</p>
<p>"The label party finished at midnight; so where the hell were you until 4am?! Actually…" Sirius held a hand up as Ron started to reply. "I really don't want to know. I've rescheduled the appointment, again, but this is your last chance with Radio 1, Harry. The show's bookers are starting to lose patience with you. If you miss this appointment, I'm cancelling the tour…"</p>
<p>Harry suddenly sat up and a visible wave of anguish rode over his body. Although he hated the fame and publicity, he loved playing and touring, and he prided himself on never letting his fans down.</p>
<p>"You wouldn't?!"</p>
<p>"Just because it's a sell-out tour, it doesn't mean you don't need the publicity." Sirius seemed to soften at the upset look on Harry's face. "Look, I know you hate the press. Hell, even I dislike them, but it just needs to be done. It comes with the territory. I've tried to make it all as easy as possible for you — it's radio, you don't even have to worry about what you're wearing!" He sat back in his seat with a soft sigh. "But you can't afford any more mistakes, or to mess anyone else around so I've decided to hire a Personal Assistant…"</p>
<p>"A PA?!" Ron almost dropped his phone as he leapt up from his seat, an incredulous look on his face. He risked a glance at Harry, who was now sat low in his seat; obviously feeling guilty about his recent behaviour. "It's bad enough having you bossing us around, now you're going to bring in a stuffy middle-aged woman to start organising our lives? We'll never have fun again! What's next, a stop to the parties?!"</p>
<p>"Don't you dare tempt me!" Sirius pointed a warning finger at Ron. "This will help, I promise. I've been in touch with an agency and they sent me a load of CVs over. I feel I've picked someone that will be suitable for you. Her name is Hermione, and she has already agreed to move into the house and will be coming on tour with us too. She will become a part of your lives, the same way I am. No more missed appointments!" He slammed a fist against the table, bringing finality to the statement.</p>
<p>"Fine; but we're only giving her three months. If she gets in the way, she's out of here!" Ron started to walk towards the door, his shoulders set in defiant determination. "You can pay her for longer, but we don't have to listen to her once the three months are up. Come on Harry, I'm starving…"</p>
<p>Sirius sat back in his chair as he watched Harry dutifully trail after Ron. "You work for Harry and me, Ron. You're just the bodyguard… you don't make any decisions around here, a fact you should pay more attention to!" He swore as Ron waved a hand dismissively towards him as he and Harry left the office. "Decision making is supposed to be my job!"</p>
<p>He let out a heavy sigh and shuffled back through the paperwork the agency had sent over the other day, seeking out the CV of the PA he'd just hired. He had picked Hermione Granger as she seemed very similar to the boys; young, bright and far from the stuffy old woman Ron was worried about. It was important to Sirius that she gelled well with both Harry and Ron as well as the wider team. It took a whole village to look after someone as famous as Harry, so it would definitely make his life easier if she got on.</p>
<p>Ron strode angrily out to the foyer, his hands curled into fists at his hips. "Can you believe that man… a PA?! Like we need a suit following us around and keeping an eye on us. Bet you a tenner she tells Sirius about every little thing we get up to! What kind of name is Hermione anyway?! I bet she is so old, she was around when bloody Shakespeare was still writing…"</p>
<p>"I know mate, it's my fault. I should have set an alarm but I was so tired when we finally got to bed…" Harry leaned against the balustrade, watching Ron with an amused expression on his face. "Did Sirius come in and wake you up too?" He laughed as Ron nodded. "Worth it! Can you imagine his face if that blonde came home with you?!"</p>
<p>A goofy grin appeared on Ron's face as he recalled the girl he'd been talking to only a few short hours ago.</p>
<p>"Oh, she looked great! Though I reckon she was only hitting on me to get closer to you. She was all 'what's it like looking after Harry? Has he even got a last name? Is he on Instagram?!' I'm not that desperate yet to sleep with one of your groupies! I reckon if you hadn't sworn off women completely, you would have totally been in there…"</p>
<p>Harry chuckled nervously, running a hand through his wayward hair. "I told you, it's not that I've sworn off women completely…"</p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah… you're just moping over my sister. I get it…" Ron smirked at Harry, who was blushing bright red.</p>
<p>"Anyway, they're only after one thing…"</p>
<p>"Fame and fortune…" The pair spoke at exactly the same time, then burst out laughing. Their friends and family often commented that they were so close, they could often read each other's minds and finish each other's sentences. They were inseparable when they were in school; almost as much as Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George, and this carried forward into their adult lives, which definitely helped in their line of work.</p>
<p>Ron checked his mobile phone briefly; he had a ton of notifications but none of them looked important. He'd deal with them when he'd had a bit more than five hours sleep. He shoved his phone back in his pocket before picking up his car keys from the side.</p>
<p>"Want to go grab brunch?"</p>
<p>"Yes, I'm starving!"</p>
<p>Ron waited patiently for Harry as he gathered his things and pulled on his usual coat and a cap. The action made Ron smile; despite the fact he'd had blacked-out windows put in all of the cars in their fleet, Harry was still cautious about being spotted out and about on days when he wasn't 'working'. Plus they'd learnt early on that if Harry was papped wearing the same things day in, day out the press couldn't use the pictures anyway. Nothing gave Harry greater satisfaction than seeing the disappointment on the leeches faces.</p>
<p>"Great, we need to get a move on though… I think you have a signing at 1 and you probably shouldn't miss it…" Ron frowned as if he was concentrating hard on something. Maybe getting a PA wasn't such a bad idea after all. It was a lot of responsibility trying to remember where Harry needed to be and when.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I really don't want to skip that. It's for a good cause…"</p>
<p>"Imagine what the PA will say?! I bet she's really scary…" Ron smirked as he opened the front door and checked for any waiting press. Luckily, the house was set away from the main road and shielded by a high wall and an electric gate. Being just outside of London, the press hadn't found it yet and all the neighbours had been forced to sign a non-disclosure and agree not to tell anyone who lived next to them. Still, Ron had quickly learnt that you could never be too careful.</p>
<p>"I don't think anyone can be as scary as Sirius..." Harry followed Ron out of the house. "He's terrifying when he's angry. My Dad used to tell me he'd spent some time behind bars and was definitely responsible for at least one death whilst they were in school. Oh, and he was also a member of the Mafia. He was lying, I think, but I never want to find out…"</p>
<p>Ron laughed as he fastened his seat belt and pulled away from the house. For all his bravado in the meeting earlier, Sirius still scared him so he definitely wasn't looking to test Harry's theory anytime soon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Personal Assistant</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hermione Granger turns up at Grimmauld Place to start her new day at her new job.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for your kind reviews and comments about this story.  I really appreciate it.  I'm taking my time writing it and I hope that shows.  There's a lot of character development to come, I didn't want to blast you all with it within the first chapter as that would spoil the story.  </p><p>As always, thanks go to Be11a and Magpie for betaing this for me!  If you enjoyed this or want to send me some feedback, please leave a review and don't forget please be constructive and nice! :-) xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A few days later, Hermione Granger stepped out of her black minicab and onto the street outside Grimmauld Place. Her sturdy court shoes wobbled slightly on the cobble-stoned pavement as she hoisted a wheeled suitcase and a cat basket from the backseat, then leaned in through the front window to pay the driver. She turned her back on the taxi and gazed up at the wrought-iron gates.</p><p>On the other side of the gate stood a beautiful, detached house at the end of a short gravel drive with what looked to be extensive grounds behind it. Although it wasn't huge; it was definitely a little bigger than the single room she was currently renting.</p><p>Staring up at the house, Hermione could not believe her luck. Since graduating last summer with a first in Law from Oxford's prestigious university she had been flitting through temporary jobs, changing companies every few weeks as she desperately tried to work out the next steps in her career. Originally, she'd been planning on taking her BCAT and eventually qualifying as a barrister in criminal law, but during her last year of studying, she'd suffered from burnout and the desire for further study had quickly dissolved.</p><p>She felt like she had been wandering aimlessly since, looking for somewhere to set down roots.</p><p>She had received the call about this new job just a couple of days ago, having just finished a stint working as the secretary for a darling old man who had unfortunately gotten ill and was now living in a nursing home. She enjoyed working closely with him; helping him to sort out years of paperwork and invoices into a system ready for his family to take over his business.</p><p>Hermione thrived in organising and schedules. Up until recently, her life had been completely planned out; each stage of it with its own time frame. It unnerved her that she was currently playing things by ear. However, she was quick-thinking and adaptable, which meant she was perfect for the new role. Add on the fact that this new position came with free accommodation as well as a company credit card and the chance to travel on top of a great pay package, she would have been completely stupid to turn it down. There was still a little hesitancy about taking another temporary role as her brain (and her mother) pushed her to find something more permanent, but the agency had hinted that the appointment could potentially become long term if she performed well.</p><p>There had been little information about the person or company she was here to work for and despite her prying, the agency refused to give her more information. All she knew was that the man was relatively private and that she would become a part of a small team that included a manager and a bodyguard.</p><p>With a small flip of nerves, she took a deep breath before eventually locating a small, silver box with a button. She steeled herself before pressing it, listening to the loud buzz echo across the empty street.</p><p>"There's no backing out now, Hermione…" She talked to herself as she waited patiently to be answered, trying to calm her jangling nerves. Finally, another buzz responded and a disjointed voice thrummed out from the intercom.</p><p>"Hello?"</p><p>Hermione bent down so that her head was level with the speaker. "Uhm hello? It's Hermione Granger. I've been sent from Godric Staffing. I'm the new Personal Assistant…"</p><p>There was a further pause and the sound of shuffling papers before the voice spoke again. "Ah yes, Hermione. Brilliant! Come in, come in. I'll meet you at the front door…"</p><p>The intercom switched off and yet another buzz sounded before the gate started to swing open.</p><p>Impressed, Hermione took a moment to smooth down her pencil skirt. She hoisted up the cat carrier from where she left it on the floor before dragging her suitcase up the short drive. As she neared the house the large oak door swung open, revealing a tall and darkly handsome man with black shoulder-length wavy hair. The man was wearing a smart, expensive-looking suit without a tie; but he looked friendly, putting her nerves immediately at ease.</p><p>"Miss Granger…" The man held out a hand for her and she shook it enthusiastically. "I'm Sirius Black, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please, come in. Leave your cases by the door and the housekeeper will take them up to your room. Oh, is that a cat?" Sirius seemed to go 100 miles an hour, and Hermione was thrown when he stopped suddenly to peer into the cat carrier.</p><p>"Yes, this is Crookshanks. The agency said it was okay for me to bring him…" She proudly held the cat up, watching as Sirius studied it with an interesting look on his face. She knew Crookshanks was ugly — he had the appearance as if he had run headlong into a brick wall — but she was very defensive of her companion.</p><p>"What an… interesting looking creature. We've never had a pet in the house but I'm sure he'll be right at home. You can leave him by the door, I promise he'll be looked after…"</p><p>Hermione watched as Sirius headed further into the house and followed him, gazing up in awe at the welcoming entranceway. The colourful tiles, which looked like they were the original Victorian flooring, led to a grand looking wooden staircase. At the top of the steps was a mezzanine, with rooms heading off in every direction.</p><p>"This house is beautiful Mr Black…" She was so busy gazing up at the house she didn't notice the wry smile appear on his face.</p><p>"I inherited it from my mother. It's taken a lot of work to get it looking like this. Also, please just call me Sirius. We try to adopt an informal working environment, especially as we all have to live and work together." He regarded Hermione and her smart business suit with a small chuckle. "In fact, I'm usually the only one in a suit. Given the industry we're in it makes sense. You'll need to be comfortable as you'll be doing a lot of running around…"</p><p>He started to lead her down towards his office. "Plus Harry and Ron don't deal well with authority, so getting down to their more casual level helps!" He chuckled again as he held the door open to his study. "Let us get all your paperwork sorted and then I'll explain exactly what we do here…"</p><p>A couple of hours later and Hermione finally left the office, her mind reeling with the amount of information that Sirius had given to her. In fact, there'd been so much for her to learn he couldn't possibly fit it into the meeting and so had presented her with a large lever arch folder full of rules, phone numbers and schedules, something which she actually appreciated.</p><p>She had been employed to look after Harry, a famous musician. His full name was Harry Potter, although she'd been warned never to use it in public. Harry was his stage name, and what everyone should refer to him as. She had heard most of his music, of course; you weren't able to turn on the radio nowadays without hearing one of his songs. It was okay to listen to, although Hermione wasn't a massive fan of popular music, preferring to concentrate on reading instead. She had also never bought into using social media. Although she had accounts on most platforms, she rarely used them, so she wasn't really accustomed to the lives of celebrities and knew nothing of Harry's past, which seemed to make Sirius happy at least.</p><p>She had been provided with a mobile phone, a set of keys for the house and a tablet device to access everything she needed on the move. Sirius had assured her that a laptop would also be set up in her new bedroom, which came with an adjoining office for her to work from.</p><p>With her contract and non-disclosure agreement signed, Sirius had adjourned their meeting.</p><p>"Ron will be along shortly, I'm sure. The boy is rubbish at keeping time so…" He trailed off, glancing up apologetically at Hermione as his phone started ringing.</p><p>Hermione nodded in understanding and gathered her things before excusing herself from the office. The wealth of information distracted her as she walked across the entrance hall. She didn't notice the front door opening or the patter of feet on the tiles as she concentrated on juggling the folder of information and all the devices Sirius had passed over.</p><p>However, she found herself rudely interrupted from her thoughts as she walked directly into someone, knocking the paperwork and everything else in her hands to the floor. She watched in dismay as her phone clattered across the hallway; that's just what she needed — a broken phone on her first day.</p><p>"Why don't you try watching where you're going?" Despite the aggressive question, her assailant's voice wasn't unfriendly and Hermione risked a glance up at him, finding a pair of ice-blue eyes staring back down at her from behind a mess of fiery red hair. She was suddenly painfully aware that she had her hand fixed firmly on his hard chest muscles to stop herself from falling over. She gulped before stepping back from the man, feeling flustered.</p><p>"I'm so sorry. I've just finished my meeting with Sirius and I guess I was distracted by trying to process all of the information he'd just told me…" She dropped to the floor in an attempt to hide the hot blush creeping over her cheeks and started to gather her papers.</p><p>"Ah, no wonder you're feeling so distracted then. Well, you're lucky…" He dropped to the floor to help her. "…usually Sirius keeps it brief and hopes that you just learn the rest of the information from the folder. It also helps if you can develop the ability to mind read. It's why most of the people he employs don't last for long; apart from me it seems…"</p><p>He held out the set of keys with a small guitar keyring fixed on them and Hermione felt an unfamiliar tingle as she took them; their fingers touching briefly. With everything else gathered (and her phone still intact), she stood and finally cast her eyes over him properly. He had freckles that seemed to travel from his forehead, over his cheeks and under the stubble on his very strong jawline before finally disappearing under the orange t-shirt he was wearing, which seemed too tight to contain his limbs. He wasn't extremely muscular, but he surely was fit and handsome.</p><p>Fortunately, he was alone and therefore the only witness to her spilling her possessions over the hallway.</p><p>"Well, lucky me I guess… I'm Hermione, by the way!" She willed her cheeks to cool down as she juggled everything in her arms before holding out a free hand. "I'm the new personal assistant. I guess I'm here to get you organised?"</p><p>The man regarded her hand closely, his eyes narrowing. It took a few moments, during which Hermione seriously regretted her decision to offer it as she remembered Sirius' warning about being too formal before he finally shook it once.</p><p>"Well, it looks like you're doing a brilliant job so far…" He raised one eyebrow at her before shoving both hands into his jean pockets. "Harry is over at the studio. I've not got long to give you a tour of the house before I take you over to meet him. I guess we should start with your room first so you can dump all of this. I'm Ron, by the way. I'm in charge of security here…"</p><p>Hermione nodded and watched as he turned and headed up the stairs without waiting for her to reply.</p><p>With dismay, she found her eyes fixed on his retreating body, a blush creeping back to her cheeks as they settled on his backside. She rolled her eyes at herself; this was completely unlike her to act this way. She was here to work, not to date and with the amount of time she knew she'd be spending with him, it would not be a good idea to even think about going there.</p><p>She shook her thoughts away as Ron turned at the top of the first landing and looked down at her.</p><p>"So are you coming or what?"</p><p>She sighed and followed him up the stairs until he stopped at the second door on the mezzanine.</p><p>"So this is your room…" He lingered at the doorway. "It's at the front of the house, so on a clear day, you can see all the way to the City!"</p><p>Hermione stepped into a large double bedroom, which had been decorated in neutral colours. A king-sized bed stood in the middle of the room, and the furniture was old and grand looking. As she ventured further into the room, she spotted a door which led to an en-suite and a French door that led out to a veranda.</p><p>"There's a balcony?!"</p><p>"Yeah… I'm in the room next door and it's shared. Harry and Sirius sleep at the back of the house, in separate rooms obviously! There's a guest room down the hallway, as well as a bigger bathroom. Sometimes people stay over so I guess just check before you agree to let anyone sleep here…"</p><p>"Oh there won't be anyone, my family lives elsewhere and I'm single…"</p><p>Ron looked a little awkward. "I meant the staff or Harry's friends mostly. We can't just have strangers staying at the house. It puts Harry at risk…"</p><p>"Yeah, sure of course…" Hermione distracted herself from her embarrassment by dumping the files on her bed before spotting her suitcase, with Crookshanks' carrier sitting on top of it. The cat let out a frustrated meow and she hurried over it, unlocking it, and pulling him carefully out of the basket. "Aww, you poor thing cooped up for so long…"</p><p>The cat only let her fuss him briefly before hopping from her arms and starting to investigate its new surroundings.</p><p>"What the hell is that?!" Ron frowned at the bandy-legged creature making its way across the room towards him.</p><p>"That's Crookshanks. He's my cat. I'm not sure how old he is; I adopted him last summer once I graduated…"</p><p>"It doesn't look like a cat…" Ron squatted low and held a hand out to the animal, who promptly hissed at him before taking a swipe.</p><p>"Crookshanks, no!" Hermione reached for the cat and pulled him away as Ron tried to arrange his face into something less offended.</p><p>"Charming! I don't like cats, I'm more of a dog person…"</p><p>"Each to their own, I guess…" She cradled the cat close to her, talking soothingly into his fur.</p><p>Ron checked the time of his watch, obviously finished with the conversation. "So do you want to see the rest of the house before we have to be at the studio?"</p><p>"Yes of course!" She let Crookshanks go before digging out her keys, tablet, and phone from the pile of things on her bed and shoving them into her bag before following Ron back out of the room with a small sigh. She wasn't off to the best start with him.</p><p>Sirius had warned her that they'd be working closely to ensure Harry's upcoming UK tour was a success, and she could do without it being difficult. Even after only a few hours, she was desperate to make a good impression and could already see herself settling down on a long-term basis.</p><p>The rest of the tour was brief, with Ron only showing her the essential rooms with little explanation before leading her out to the car. Hermione was perplexed by his behaviour; it wasn't that he was being completely unfriendly, but her mere presence seemed to annoy him, even though she hadn't really had the chance to do anything to deserve such treatment yet.</p><p>Because of this, the journey over to the studio was awkward. Ron was a good driver, despite the fact he regularly used a few choice swear words to express his dissatisfaction of the other drivers on the road but neither of them could think of anything to break the frosty atmosphere that had formed between the two. Luckily, the car ride was short and Hermione soon found herself being led into the studio space.</p><p>The man who must be Harry sat on a stool behind a Perspex glass while a group of other men played dials and buttons. As soon as he spotted her, he put the guitar down and came through to see her.</p><p>"Hermione! Welcome to the team…" Instead of shaking her hand, Harry grabbed her and pulled her into a brief hug. It was a surprise, but it immediately put Hermione at ease. He was as friendly as Sirius was, and she could easily notice the similarities between the pair. She stayed close to Harry as he showed her around the studio.</p><p>Eventually, Harry had to get back to work and Hermione took a seat next to Ron to watch; pulling her tablet out of her bag to start on the massive to-do list Sirius had given her. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Ron rolled his eyes before returning to scrolling through whatever app he was on.</p><p>She suppressed a sigh; he was definitely going to be a hard nut to crack.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Wogan House</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry finally makes his radio appointment with the BBC and Hermione gets her first experience of Harry's fans. Meanwhile, Ron struggles to finish his plans for the upcoming UK tour.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's me. I'm back for a midweek chapter as I got ahead of myself with my writing. I'm really enjoying reading your thoughts on this fic and I'm super enjoying writing it. So you can have more. Thanks as always for be11atrix &amp; Magpie for beta-ing this for me. If you enjoy it, or if you have anything constructive to say please leave a review. It makes my little heart happy xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Ron drummed his pencil against his thigh in time to the random song playing in his head. It wasn't one of Harry's, but he thought his friend might forgive him. Ron thought he might go mad if he only listened to Harry's music for the rest of his life, especially as Ron usually had a varied taste in music. He liked listening to it all. Normally, he would connect his phone's Bluetooth to the expensive sound system that Sirius had installed throughout the house and allow the heavy thrash of rock to help focus his mind, but it was still early in the morning and he hadn't yet heard anyone else in the house stir.</p><p>But it was no good. His thoughts were far away from the work he was trying to finish. He threw the pencil down onto the table with a heavy sigh before dragging his hand over his face.</p><p>Harry's UK tour started in less than two weeks, yet Ron still wasn't confident that all the right security was in place for it. He hated being in this position; although outwardly he looked chaotic and unorganised, he took pride in completing his work properly. He was so good at his job that over the years he had received more than a handful of job offers to go and work for other artists. But he was loyal to Harry. Sure, some people thought he was just being paid to be his friend, but it was a lot more than that.</p><p>His concern that something was missing had forced him from bed uncharacteristically early that morning after spending most of the night tossing and turning. It was frustrating as he could normally perform this part of his job with his eyes closed, and usually for events much larger than this.</p><p>He wished now he could look back on his plans from last year's tour, but unfortunately, nothing was available. Ron liked to celebrate a tour well done by getting rid of his paperwork — a ritual that pissed off Sirius but brought joy to Ron. So he had nothing to refer back to.</p><p>He leaned back in his seat and read through the checklist on the laptop screen in front of him:</p><p><em>Hotel clearance?</em> Check.</p><p><em>Venue security?</em> Check.</p><p><em>Secure places for the tour bus and all the vans to cart around Harry's shit?</em> Check.</p><p><em>Staff vetting?</em> Check.</p><p>So what else was missing?</p><p>He let out a small puff of air as his eyes drifted slowly around the kitchen. The morning sun was just starting to flood the room. It was his favourite place in the house. Sirius had knocked down the exterior wall and replaced it with huge glass sliding doors, allowing for undisturbed views down the expansive garden. In the summer, these doors remained open most of the time, allowing the outside in.</p><p>Ron cursed to himself. His deadline was today and no matter which way he looked at it, he couldn't put his finger on the missing piece, even though it felt like it should be at the forefront of his mind. He would have to ask Sirius about it, something he truly hated doing. Ron was the person in charge of Harry's security, after all, and it was what he was being paid for.</p><p>He allowed himself to get distracted by Hermione entering the room, who didn't notice him sitting at the breakfast table. Ron had to admit her sudden appearance in his life was part of the reason he was feeling off-kilter. Despite Harry and Sirius' warnings that he needed to try and be pleasant, he was still adamant that they didn't need her organising their lives. Consequently, he was finding it hard to be nice to her — something that was usually completely out of character for him. He had always thought of himself as a nice guy, although he could be fiercely protective of his friends and family.</p><p>Their collision in the foyer of the house yesterday, combined with their disastrous introduction wasn't helping how he felt about her. Then to top it off, her ugly cat had taken an instant dislike to him and tried to maul him. Ron had spotted the creature roaming the house since and had found himself resisting the urge to kick it. The beast hissed at him every time he saw Ron as if he could read minds and knew what he'd been plotting. Bloody thing.</p><p>Although Hermione hadn't been due to start officially working for them until this morning, she had called a meeting after dinner last night to run through the week's schedules. Ron was never a fan of meetings anyway, and this one had been incredibly painful. They'd sat in the spacious lounge as she'd paced the floor, going through the list of ideas and suggestions she had already put together that would 'make their lives easier', in her opinion. He had found his attention drifting more than once, which made things awkward when he had been called upon for his opinion and was unable to provide an answer. She probably thought he was an uneducated baboon, staring slack-jawed out of the window.</p><p>Not that it would have mattered. When he did pay attention long enough to give an opinion, she had given him a condescending smile but dismissed it outright. Sirius and Harry agreed with her, and Ron had found himself wondering why he was needed there if he was just going to be ignored anyway.</p><p>The whole thing had been completely pointless, although he was proud of himself for not pointing this out to her as she ran through the week's schedules. They were already uploaded and updated directly to their mobile phones but, in the short time she had been sitting around the studio yesterday, she had made a ton of changes that warranted a full two hours discussion.</p><p>Hermione's enthusiasm had annoyed Ron even more. She'd bounced around the room as she talked about scheduling travel time to allow for traffic and setting alerts so that they knew when they had 30 minutes before they needed to leave. He had immediately put his phone on silent — he did not need the constant pinging and reminding making him feel like a child. She was almost as bad as his mother.</p><p>He watched Hermione as she filled up the coffee machine and started making her breakfast, opening cupboards at random until she found what she needed. He supposed he should cough or something to alert her to his presence, but he was struck by the ease she already moved around the room. It was if she had always been there, even though it had barely been a day.</p><p>She was far from the stuffy old woman that he had been expecting, although cruelly he thought she was dressed like one. Her hair was still damp from her shower, long and curly, leaving trails of water on her floral blouse. He thought it might look pretty once it was dry, a contrast to the sharp, tight bun she wore it in yesterday. He wondered what it might feel like to run his fingers through it.</p><p>Hermione was different from the other women their age, the ones he and Harry met at parties and events. She held herself taller, completely upright and primly. It was as if she thought herself above others. She'd probably be aghast if she knew he was watching her right now.</p><p>Ron sighed and closed the lid of his laptop before checking the time. As if on cue, the screen of his phone lit up, signalling that he had half an hour before having to leave for Harry's first appointment.</p><p>"Oh, I didn't notice you there." The sound of her voice dragged him from his thoughts, turning the tips of his ears pink.</p><p>"Yeah, sorry. I was up early so I thought I'd get some work done." He gestured vaguely towards his laptop. "I wasn't watching you or anything…"</p><p>As soon as he saw the small frown appear on her face, he realised what he had said and cursed inwardly. Sometimes, his mouth worked before his brain. His mum called it putting his foot firmly in his mouth.</p><p>"I didn't think you were." She glanced at him curiously before turning back to the coffee machine. "Do you want coffee?"</p><p>Easily distracted, Ron had quickly reverted to studying Hermione and the way she was moving around the kitchen. He didn't even realise she was asking him a question. She repeated it, a little louder this time and he was finally pulled from his daydream. What the hell was wrong with him?!</p><p>"Ron… coffee?" She was staring at him now, her frown growing deeper with a look of impatience. The third time wasn't so lucky.</p><p>"Nah I better go and shower actually. I've just had my summons…" He lifted his phone in the air in a weak attempt at a joke. It was still vibrating and lighting up incessantly. Hermione's eyes flitted to it and she looked aghast at him brazenly ignoring it. He got up from the table and gathered his things.</p><p>"Oh, okay." He could feel her eyes on him now, and he tried to ignore their burn.</p><p>"See you in a bit, I guess." Ron left the room quickly before he made even more of a fool of himself. He was an idiot. Sirius and Harry said for him to be nice and instead he'd gone completely in the other direction, blatantly ogling her in the kitchen. The feeling didn't help the bad mood that had come from not being able to complete his work this morning. He hoped a shower would help put him right.</p><p>By the time he emerged from his room again, now showered and dressed for the day, he was in a better mood. His phone had pinged twice again to let him know it was time to leave the house, but he was able to ignore it. He took the stairs two at a time, rolling his eyes at the sight of Harry and Hermione waiting for him. They were already dressed in their coats and shoes. The sight of them annoyed him, but he tried his best to push the feeling out of his head. They had matching smiles and looked as if they'd been sharing a private joke. Probably laughing about how he had acted this morning.</p><p>He ignored the travel mug and brown paper bag that Hermione offered him and shoved his feet into a pair of worn trainers.</p><p>"What's this — a welcome party?" He tried to keep his tone light, determined to try and turn the day around. He shifted his tablet and phone to his other hand so he could pull on a coat.</p><p>"Well, we need to get going if we want to make it to Wogan House on time!" Hermione's bossy tone briefly pushed a scowl on his face, although he tried his best to shake it away. She had no reason to complain — he was on time and he didn't need lecturing, at least not from her. She could try until she was blue in the face, but there was no way she'd be able to make him turn up five minutes early.</p><p>Hermione shoved the travel mug at him again, a smile on her face. "I made you breakfast since you left the kitchen so quickly this morning!" Her voice was still chirpy, making Ron wonder how the hell people managed to be so happy so early in the morning.</p><p>Reluctantly, he took the offered breakfast from her and immediately took a swig from the cup. He pondered how she knew exactly how he liked it — black with three sugars — but figured Harry must have told her. It was a more pleasant thought than the paranoia that she was building profiles on all of them like a crazed lunatic.</p><p>"Thanks…" Ron only just remembered that he was supposed to be trying to be polite to her. He opened the bag, digging out one of the pastries before shoving it in his mouth. It wasn't until he tasted it that he realised he had been starving.</p><p>"Well, what are you two waiting for then?" He spoke with his mouth full, but he was pretty sure they were able to understand what he said. He dug his car keys out from his pocket as he chewed, then opened the door, gesturing for Harry and Hermione to take the lead. He followed them after locking up the house, noticing Hermione making a beeline for the front passenger seat. He considered allowing it briefly, but they had a long time together in the car and Ron didn't think he'd be able to make forced conversation for the whole trip. He quickly swallowed his breakfast and intercepted her. "Harry rides up front, sorry."</p><p>"Oh, sure…. Of course!" Hermione blushed bright red but quickly moved to the rear of the car. "I have some things I need to check up on anyway."</p><p>Ron noticed Hermione and Harry exchange looks and felt another surge of annoyance at them. He felt his resolve to be pleasant to Hermione start to slip. So they were already ganging up against him? Bloody great. He shoved the last of his breakfast into his mouth and balled up the paper bag before getting into the car.</p><p>The drive to Wogan House in Central London took a little over an hour. Annoyingly, Ron found himself feeling grateful for Hermione's extra scheduling. He had made this journey so many times and was adamant it only took 45 minutes, but the traffic had been busy in places so they had arrived exactly at the time Hermione had predicted.</p><p>The atmosphere in the car had been stilted, although less frosty than yesterday. Harry and Hermione had tried to engage him in conversation, but although he was usually the king of small talk, Ron had pretended to concentrate on the driving and let them do the talking.</p><p>Ron pulled the car into the private car park at the back of the building, following the directions from the onsite security guard to his designated parking space (having already received similar instructions via text that morning from Hermione). He stepped out of the car and stretched his long legs.</p><p>"I'll just get us checked in." Hermione scurried ahead, the sound of her heels clicking on the cement car park floor and towards the back entrance doors. Ron supposed it was mostly used for tradespeople, but in the hundreds of times they'd been here, he never even knew it existed. Usually, he would pull up at the front of the building and let one of the security guards park the car for him. But he was grateful for the quiet entrance.</p><p>Turning up discreetly was always preferable over the hordes of fans that usually waited outside places like this. It seemed Hermione knew more than she had first let on and even Harry looked grateful that it was quiet. Of course, they would be forced out the front door later by an over-enthusiastic studio runner, but Harry didn't mind that. He usually enjoyed spending time with his fans, but would rather deal with them once his performances and interviews were over.</p><p>Ron sighed as he checked the car door was locked. This was another thing that Hermione had trumped him on. He was beginning to start feeling inadequate. He fell into step with Harry, who was slowly making his way across the car park.</p><p>"She's a bit keen isn't she?" Ron turned his head towards his best friend, desperate to gauge his opinion on her but Harry kept his eyes fixed firmly ahead.</p><p>"I guess she's just trying to get things sorted so that there's less for you and Sirius to do."</p><p>Ron felt taken aback by Harry's answer and the no-nonsense tone he had used. His best friend was always on the same side as him.</p><p>"Well, I could get things sorted. You know, if I tried…" His attempt to respond disappeared even as the words left his mouth. He'd tried before, in the past, but he usually just made more of a mess of things. It was probably best he just left it to Hermione.</p><p>She soon came clicking back to them and Ron resisted the urge to tease her about her formal business attire. He glanced down at his worn jeans as more feelings of inadequacy rushed over him, even though Harry was dressed similarly. She couldn't be all that comfortable running around like that. He took the offered pass from her without thanks, pulling it over his head before following her into the building.</p><p>It didn't take long for Ron, Harry, and Hermione to be greeted by the studio runner and escorted up to the third-floor studios. They met the radio DJ briefly before they were shown into the Green Room. Harry immediately took his guitar out of its case and started to tune it. With nothing else to do, Ron plonked himself down on the only sofa in the room and turned on his tablet, sighing as Hermione soon settled next to him with a cup of tea and her device.</p><p>Ron hated this part of the job the most—not Hermione sitting next to him, but waiting around for Harry. The BBC building was too far away from the house to travel back, especially given the short nature of radio appointments and anyway, he tried to stick around as much as possible just in case Harry needed him (not that he'd expect anything to happen within the safety of Wogan House). Usually, Ron would spend these moments wandering the corridors until Harry called him back, but Hermione was around now and he guessed she wouldn't approve. Plus he couldn't exactly leave her alone. That would be rude.</p><p>Bored, he found himself watching over her shoulder as she flicked through screen after screen of writing. It all seemed pretty boring to him, but she seemed to be enjoying whatever she was reading as a small smile soon appeared on her face. Ron found he was watching her more than her screen and was surprised when she looked up suddenly, making eye contact with him.</p><p>"After spilling the content of Sirius' massive folder of information all over the foyer yesterday, I decided to scan it all in and upload it." Her cheeks had turned a light shade of pink and Ron could sense her discomfort about yesterday's collision. He chose to ignore her reaction, in the hope of making her feel a little less awkward about it. "It makes it easier to read and means I've always got it with me, just in case. I sent Sirius a copy last night, I can send it to you too if you want?"</p><p>"No thanks. I've never read it and I don't plan to." Ron snapped, immediately regretting his choice of tone. He sighed and shifted more to look at her. "I reckon I probably know Harry better than anyone else anyway." His response was pointed, and he hoped she picked up on the subtle display of seniority.</p><p>"Have you two been friends for a while?" The same curious smile from this morning formed on Hermione's face.</p><p>"Since we were eleven…" Ron's smile matched hers now. "It was my job to show him around the school on his first day and we just kind of stuck together after that. When Sirius was looking for a bodyguard for him, it just made sense that I took on the job"</p><p>"That's nice. I didn't have very many friends at school."</p><p>Ron was struck by the candidness of Hermione's admission. He desperately racked his brain for something to say, and a strange urge to comfort her washed over him, but he could not think of a response, and the conversation fizzled out.</p><p>"I better get on with my work…" He stared down at his tablet screen, drumming his finger against it with a sigh. The security checklist flashed up, still in the same state he'd left it his morning.</p><p>"What's that?" Hermione had shifted and was watching his screen now, leaning into him just enough for Ron to feel her weight against his arm. She smelt of strawberries with a hint of vanilla as well. He was irritated by this invasion in his personal space, yet something deep inside of him yearned to feel just a little bit more of her. She was frustrating. It took a moment for him to realise she was asking him a question.</p><p>"Oh, just security and stuff for the tour. This is my checklist…" He ran a finger down the screen to show her the full list. "It looks pretty basic but there are files and emails and everything behind it, I promise. But I was a bit thick and deleted everything from last year's tour and I just know I'm missing something…"</p><p>"Is this what you were working on this morning? Can I?" Hermione held her hands out for the tablet and Ron passed it to her, albeit hesitantly. He couldn't see how she could help having no previous knowledge of the music industry. She flicked through his checklist, accessing the links one by one and quickly digesting the material. She worked with efficiency and Ron couldn't help but feel impressed by it. She chewed on her lower lip as she worked, a sight which fascinated Ron.</p><p>"Communications." She nodded as if verifying her answer with herself before handing him back his device.</p><p>"You what?" Ron stared at her, looking confused. She had already shifted her focus back to her work.</p><p>She lifted her head again. "You've got all the security people and vetting and everything in place. It's all very clear and coherent, and the contracts look good, although your filing system could do with some work. But you haven't booked walkie talkies or investigated expanding our mobile phone contracts to provide temporary phones for the additional staff, I can help you with that if you want?"</p><p>Ron stared at her unblinking for a few seconds, a frown forming across his face. He had been racking his brains for hours to find the missing piece of the puzzle and within 10 minutes, she'd been able to put her finger straight on it. He felt equal parts impressed and annoyed and it stirred his earlier feelings of inferiority. It didn't help that she sounded bossy. Ron hated know-it-alls and it was a little premature considering this was her first job in the industry.</p><p>Last night, she had talked extensively about the research she had done in the week before she moved to the house, but none of that could give her the hands-on knowledge she needed to do her job properly. Even Ron sometimes missed things, evident by the gaps in his security plans for the tour and he'd been doing the job for six years now.</p><p>"No, I'm fine. Thanks!" He added the thanks as an afterthought, reminding himself yet again that he was supposed to be being polite to her. "We have a list of companies we already use and Sirius has negotiated good rates for them."</p><p>"Okay, sure. I just thought I'd try and be helpful!" She shrugged, her head still buried in what she was reading as she replied to him. Ron raised an eyebrow then turned his attention back to his work, although he still struggled to concentrate.</p><p>Eventually, Harry returned to them. Ron had considered taking Hermione along to the studio to hear him perform, but she had been so engrossed in reading Sirius' guidelines and he hadn't wanted to interrupt her. There'd be plenty of opportunities for her to hear Harry perform live. It was their jobs, after all.</p><p>Ron watched as Harry tidied away his guitar then unfolded himself from the sofa.</p><p>"Are you coming then?" Hermione was still reading fervently and Ron wondered whether the building could come down around her and she'd not be disturbed.</p><p>"Oh!" Her cheeks flushed bright red as she gathered her things quickly. Ron smirked at Harry, who rolled his eyes at him in reply. Once Hermione was ready, they followed the studio runner back out of the Green Room and down to the foyer.</p><p>Ron grimaced as he got his first glimpse of the crowds waiting outside the building. He passed his car keys and Harry's guitar quickly to the waiting security guard; the routine well practised by now.</p><p>"Hermione, it'll be easier if you hand over your bag. Just in case…" He raised his eyebrows at the withering look she gave him.</p><p>"Do I have to?" She glanced at the crowd hesitantly.</p><p>"It'll be fine, I promise. Steve is one of the best out there…" He clamped his hand on the security guard's shoulder firmly, missing Hermione's concern about the number of people. Nevertheless, she took a deep breath and passed over her bag. Once she was sorted, Ron started to head towards the entrance.</p><p>The glass doors opened automatically and the noise increased, rolling over them like a wave. Ron felt Hermione baulk as it reached her and he instinctively moved closer to her. He dropped his head low to her ear so she could hear him over the roar of Harry's fans.</p><p>"Just move with me, okay? They're not interested in you. Keep your eyes peeled for any potential issues. Help me…" She glanced appreciatively at him and he figured she liked being useful. Ron made a mental note of this. He placed his hand on the small of her back protectively and guided her out, casting his eyes across the crowd. At first glance, it looked safe enough. The BBC was used to this sort of thing and had permanent metal barriers to separate their guests from the swarms of fans. At the bottom of the walkway, Ron's car was already waiting for them.</p><p>"Let's go, Harry…"</p><p>Slowly, Harry made his way down the line of waiting fans, Ron and Hermione keeping close to him the entire time. With credit to him, he stopped to talk to everyone he could reach whilst ignoring the autograph vendors who rudely pushed printed photographs under his nose. His priority was always with his fans. Ron was grateful more than ever for the metal barriers and the space they created for Harry as the wall of people pressed nearer to him.</p><p>Eventually, they worked their way down to the car. Ron opened Harry's door first, ensuring he was secure before helping Hermione. He rushed around to the driver's side before the crowds could envelop them, switching places with Steve and thanking him quickly before finally pulling away.</p><p>From the back seat, he heard Hermione let out a sigh of relief. "That was mental!"</p><p>Ron cast his eyes to the rear-view mirror to check on her. Her face was flushed and her eyes bright with excitement. He chuckled to himself.</p><p>"Yeah… welcome to my life." Harry retorted dryly.</p><p>"I just couldn't believe the number of kids there…" She ignored Harry and continued to talk, words rushing out of her mouth. She had turned back in her seat to watch the disappearing crowds. "It's a school day, where were their parents?"</p><p>"You're telling me you've never skipped school to do something like that?" His eyes flitted back to the rear-view mirror, laughing at the incredulous look on Hermione's face.</p><p>"No way, I would never skip school and especially not for something as pointless as that!"</p><p>"Gee, thanks, Hermione!" Harry complained and turned in his seat to look at her. "I'm not pointless. My music has helped hundreds of thousands of people."</p><p>She turned suddenly back in her seat, looking aghast, her hands covering her face. "Oh, Harry. I didn't mean —" She was interrupted by Harry and Ron bursting out laughing.</p><p>"It's okay Hermione. I think all of that is as ridiculous as you do and I'd much prefer for the kids to be in school. Not very rock and roll, am I?" Harry smiled at her before settling back. "So what else do we have to do today?"</p><p>She tutted briefly before checking her itinerary. "Nothing else, although Sirius wants our completed schedules and plans for the tour by the end of the day."</p><p>Although her statement was directed at Harry, Ron couldn't help but feel that she was making a small dig at him. He tried his best to let it slide off his shoulders, enjoying the new friendlier atmosphere in the car.</p><p>"Brilliant!" Harry rested his head against the glass. "We have that party tonight in Chelsea for one of Ginny's teammates' birthdays. Do you want to come?"</p><p>"Ginny? But I didn't think you two were —?"</p><p>"It's complicated!" Harry cut her off quickly, his sharp tone showing that he had no plans in discussing this further.</p><p>Ron sighed as the mood in the car turned instantly. Ginny was a touchy subject as far as Harry was concerned and Ron was surprised Sirius hadn't added a whole chapter in his guide about it, but maybe Hermione hadn't got that far with her reading. For once, Ron found himself desperate to clear the air between them.</p><p>"It's because Ginny is far too famous for Harry. But she'll be there tonight and it might be nice for you to meet her. She's my sister too…"</p><p>"Well obviously, Weasley isn't a common surname and you both have the same coloured hair." Hermione's brusque tone indicated she'd been burnt a little and Ron couldn't help but smile. She did not like being wrong or chided. "I think I'll decline your offer, thank you. It's not my kind of thing and I have a lot of work to get on with…"</p><p>Ron rolled his eyes and flicked the radio on, bringing an end to the discussion. Just like that, all the effort the three of them had put in that morning to establish a good working relationship had been undone. It was going to be a long drive back to Watford.</p><p>"So what do you think about Hermione?" Ron took a long pull on his beer, feeling grateful that they had decided to drink tonight. They had settled themselves in a corner of a massive open plan kitchen and living area in a huge mansion in Chelsea. The room was sterile, with shiny marble tiles and everything was white. It made Ron feel grateful that Sirius' house was more homely and full of colour.</p><p>Harry immediately rolled his eyes and pulled Ginny tighter to him. They always gravitated towards each other like this, especially when alcohol was involved, despite them both being adamant that their relationship was on hold indefinitely.</p><p>"I think she's alright and I'm already feeling the benefits of her being with us. Today, I had time to finish writing two songs and I enjoyed not having to rush around." Harry smiled and raised his cup towards Ron, although Ron did not reciprocate the toast.</p><p>"Oh yeah, that's right. You just sit around playing your bloody guitar while the rest of us work." Ron laughed. "She's just so boring and stuck in her rigid rules. She could have come tonight, but she was so desperate to stay in and finish her reading." He couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at the thought of Hermione alone in the big house. Sirius was away for a few nights and as they'd been leaving, she was settling on the sofa with her tablet. Still, she'd been invited and had declined. She was a grown woman after all.</p><p>Ginny smirked. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much!"</p><p>Ron scowled as Harry and Ginny laughed, turning his otherwise good mood sour. "What do you mean?"</p><p>"Well, you know. In the movies when someone keeps on going on about how much they dislike someone, it usually means the opposite." Ginny raised her eyebrows at her brother, challenging him.</p><p>"Oh fuck off, will you?" Ron finished his drink quickly, stuck two fingers up at his sister then walked away, his good mood completely gone. There was absolutely no way he fancied Hermione. She was annoying and brunette and liked books. The girls he usually pulled were blonde and liked to party, although sometimes they could be annoying. His eyes scanned the room as he walked, looking for exactly that type of girl so he could prove Harry and Ginny wrong.</p><p>"Ron! Hey, Ron, slow down!" Ginny was calling for him and he reluctantly did as he was told, although he didn't stop entirely.</p><p>"What do you want? Where's Harry?"</p><p>"Oh, he's talking to Katie about strategy for the upcoming game against Arsenal." She waved a hand dismissively then placed it gently on Ron's arm, pulling him to a stop.</p><p>"Listen, I'm sorry about what I said. I know you don't like being bossed around and maybe Hermione could try and be a little less condescending. But can you please try and get on with her for Harry's sake?"</p><p>"She's infuriating…" Ron felt the tips of his ears go pink and he sighed. "Honestly, she could beat mum in a nagging contest."</p><p>"Well, maybe she's right?" Ginny had always been brutally honest with Ron, calling him up on his shit when she felt he was out of order. He supposed that was the benefit of having a younger sister.</p><p>"You are a little disorganised and you're never on time. You almost missed Bill's wedding!" She nudged him softly with her shoulder and he tried his hardest to suppress a smile. She was also really good at cheering him up and was his favourite sibling out of all of them.</p><p>"I hate planning…"</p><p>"I know. But I can already see a difference in Harry. He seems more relaxed, less stressed even after only a day. Can you try, for him?"</p><p>Ron sighed again but looped his arm around her shoulder, steering her back towards Harry. "For him then, and not because you asked me, okay?"</p><p>"Fine. Anyway, I think he intends on me staying over tonight and I'll make sure I get up early to see what she's like. If she's as bad as you say she is, I will let you moan to me whenever you want!"</p><p>"You're staying over?" Ron wrinkled up his nose with a groan. "And I suppose you'll want a lift home tomorrow morning then too? Better check with the PA, see if I have time for it…" He laughed as Ginny shoved him harder this time and let the party reabsorb them as they made their way back to Harry.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Fan Mail</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hermione gets to meet Ginny and finds some unsettling fanmail.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So maybe writing Valentine's Day got me a little distracted and I've not written another chapter of Lego House yet. BUT that is why I'm trying to stay two chapters ahead of myself. I have a few days off work now, so I'm going to focus on getting two more chapters of Lego House as well as finishing Valentines Day (if you haven't read that yet, please check it out). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, please let me know your thoughts!</p><p>As always, all my lego-y love goes to be11atrix &amp; Magpie for beta-ing this for me &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The intercom from the main gate rang, echoing around the large house. Hermione looked up from her laptop, waiting to hear the sound of someone answering the door, but instead, the buzzer rang again. Even on her second day on the job, she didn't know why that surprised her. She sighed, pushed herself up from her desk and headed downstairs, grateful she was already up and dressed.</p><p>She eventually located the control panel for the intercom in the foyer and pressed the button. "Hello?"</p><p>"Uhm… hi… it's the mailman?"</p><p>"Oh, you can just leave it in the letterbox. I'll get to it later…" Hermione smiled at the video on the console, even though she knew he wouldn't be able to see her.</p><p>"I can't… it's the additional mail Mr Black asked me to bring up!" The postman shifted from one foot to the other impatiently.</p><p>"Of course, bring it up to the house. One second, I just need to find the button to let you in…" Hermione stared at the device, finally locating the right button to press to open the electronic gates. "Come right up…"</p><p>She hurried to the door, opening it so that she'd be ready to greet the postman. He lugged two massive bags up the drive, dumping them unceremoniously on the doorstep in front of Hermione.</p><p>"This is the start of it. I think we have around eight or nine bags at the depot. I'll bring them up bit by bit…"</p><p>"Thank you…" Hermione signed for the mail and wished the postman a good day before dragging the bags into the house.</p><p>"Ah Hermione, I thought I'd heard the buzzer go. I was just on a call." Sirius hurried out of his office and towards her, taking one of the bags. "Where do you want them?"</p><p>"Me?" She was surprised by his question.</p><p>Sirius smiled kindly. "Ah yes… one of the top tasks on your list is answering the fanmail…" He grimaced. "We've been ignoring it for a while I'm afraid, so it's probably piled up…"</p><p>"Then, my office I guess… if you don't mind?" Sirius nodded, and Hermione followed him up.</p><p>"What time did the boys get in last night?"</p><p>"I'm not sure. Late, probably? The house is so quiet. I don't think I've ever slept so well!" Hermione threw a friendly smile at her boss.</p><p>"Didn't fancy going with them?" Sirius had kind eyes, but they were watching her closely now.</p><p>"It's not my thing…" She dumped her bag down next to her desk.</p><p>"Ah, you're young, Hermione. This job is probably one of the best you'll get to do, and so far, you're doing a good job. Relax and enjoy it a bit. Ron and Harry are pretty self-sufficient; they just need to be told where they have to be and when. But let me know if they're giving you any shit, okay?"</p><p>Hermione laughed. "Okay, Sirius. Thank you!"</p><p>With the bags safely in her office, and Sirius returning downstairs, she opened the closest one and scooped up a handful of letters from the top of it. She flicked through the mail as she headed downstairs and into the kitchen.</p><p>She made herself a cup of tea before settling at the table. She didn't get far into her task before Harry joined her. He was looking dishevelled, with grey sweats and an old t-shirt on, and his hair was a complete mess—although that wasn't abnormal for Harry.</p><p>He spotted her right away and threw her a smile. "Morning…" He opened the fridge door and started pulling ingredients out of it. "I'm making pancakes, do you want some?"</p><p>"Oh yes please, as long as you don't mind?"</p><p>"Of course not. I need to make some for Ginny anyway…"</p><p>Hermione frowned, remembering the conversation in the car yesterday. She'd sensed that Ginny was a no-go subject and yet she had stayed over last night. She contemplated her next question slowly, not wanting to spoil Harry's good mood. Yesterday she thought she had him on her side, but once they had gotten back to the house, neither he nor Ron had spoken to her about anything unless it was work-related.</p><p>"Did— did she stay here last night?" Hermione tried to keep her voice even and not accusatory.</p><p>"Yeah…" A blush appeared on Harry's face as he busied himself mixing ingredients. He looked pleased as if he had no worries in the world. "Always happens after we've had a drink. Ron complained about it, but he doesn't mean it."</p><p>A sudden thought hit Hermione, causing her stomach to flip unpleasantly. She wondered if Ron had brought anyone home with him. Imagining some random woman upstairs in bed with him made her feel strangely uncomfortable, although she wasn't sure why.</p><p>As if reading her mind, Harry's grin grew wider. "Ron didn't pull, if that's what you're thinking…" He met her eyes and gave her a knowing look.</p><p>"Oh… that's, that's not what I was thinking at all." She felt her cheeks burn bright red. "You said he complained about bringing Ginny home. Does he not approve of you and her?"</p><p>Harry looked thoughtful. "He's okay with it, I guess. He's had a few years to get used to it now. He thinks I'm messing her around, but he's very protective of her. We're happy-ish with the situation, so…" He shrugged then got back to cooking.</p><p>"Happy-ish?" Hermione leaned forward in her seat, glad that the conversation had switched swiftly back to Harry. She was eager to learn more about him in the hope she could be better at working for him, and get her contract extended past the initial three months she had been offered. Aside from her faux pas in the car yesterday, Hermione and Harry had been getting on well. He didn't act how she'd expected famous people to be — he was down to earth, compassionate and good-natured, and he tried to help out as much as he could.</p><p>She wished she could say the same for Ron. He seemed to blow hot and cold with her all day. Every time she thought she was getting somewhere with him, he snapped at her, and they were back at step one again. Both Harry and Sirius had warned her that Ron wasn't keen on having a PA working with them, but she'd thought he'd at least be cordial. A few times, she found herself having to bite her tongue to avoid responding to him the same way he talked to her. There was something about him that made her want to shout and scream at him, to argue with him until she was blue in the face. But she was enjoying her job so far, even though it had only been two days, so instead, she focused her energy on remaining professional with him, especially in front of Harry and Sirius.</p><p>Harry was leaning against the counter now, a glassy-eyed look on his face. He let out a soft sigh.</p><p>"We started dating when I was sixteen, just before I got signed with the label. We've been on and off since, although it's more off at the moment. We love each other—but it's difficult to make our lives line up, y'know? She's travelling the country, and sometimes the world, for football. And I'm travelling the country, and the world, with my music. We're rarely in the same place at the same time…" He took a sip from his coffee.</p><p>"Is she good at football?"</p><p>Harry almost choked on his coffee. "Is she good?" He shook his head, laughing at her. "She's one of the best. Her team, Chelsea, won the Women's Premiership last year and she also plays for the England team, although we've not won the World Cup in a long time." He smiled and turned around to the stove.</p><p>Hermione watched him thoughtfully. "You know, if there's any time you want me to clear your diary so you can see her, or if you want to go to one of her games or something, then please just let me know."</p><p>"Really?" Harry turned back once more, spatula in hand. He looked excited at the thought of spending more time with Ginny.</p><p>"Yes, of course!" Hermione smiled. "Sirius has given me full autonomy over your schedules. I asked if he wanted me to run any changes past him, but he was uninterested. As long as I provide an update at the Monday meeting with everyone, then everything's cool…"</p><p>"That would be amazing!" Harry rounded the kitchen, ignoring the pancakes sizzling in the pan and wrapped his arms around her a little awkwardly. Once again, Hermione was taken aback by this gesture but soon warmed up to it. She guessed she would need to get used to how personable he was.</p><p>"Oi! Get your hands off my man!" Harry pulled back from the hug, revealing a beautiful girl stood in the kitchen doorway with her hands on her hips. Hermione immediately knew she was Ron's sister; she had the same flaming red hair and a freckled complexion. Despite her warning, Ginny had a friendly smile on her face. She too was wearing a t-shirt and jogging bottoms, but this didn't diminish how beautiful she looked.</p><p>Hermione got up from her seat and wandered over to the girl, holding out her hand. "You must be Ginny."</p><p>Ginny observed Hermione's hand then took it. Instead of shaking it, she pulled Hermione into a hug. "And you must be Hermione. My brother has told me all about you!"</p><p>"Really?" Hermione moved back from the hug, a frown on her face.</p><p>"Yeah, he wouldn't stop talking about you at the party last night!" Ginny let go of Hermione and moved to the table after kissing Harry. She settled in the seat opposite Hermione's and reached for one of the letters. "What are these?"</p><p>"Oh, Harry's fan mail…" Hermione sat down too. "This is my job now, and Sirius has just had two massive bags delivered to the house…"</p><p>Ginny had already pulled the letter out of the envelope, her brown eyes softening as she read the letter. "Hey, some of this is nice actually…"</p><p>"Oh good, I was hoping it wouldn't be all creeps." Hermione reached for another letter, wrinkling her nose as a pair of knickers came out with the piece of paper. "Oh jeez…" She held them out between two fingers. "I'll put these in the 'not to answer' pile, shall I?"</p><p>Harry came to the table with a giant pile of pancakes, placing them down in the centre. He scrunched up his nose at the sight of the underwear. "Uhm, yeah. I don't want to see those. You can just go ahead and burn them. I just hope they're clean!"</p><p>"Oh, that's disgusting…" Hermione threw them quickly to the floor and reached for the next letter. Soon Harry was sitting at the table with them, and they ate and laughed as they worked through the small pile of letters. They were enjoying themselves so much; they didn't notice Ron enter the room.</p><p>"Morning everyone. What's going on?" He approached the table, standing over the pair of knickers on the floor and frowning. "What the hell are these?"</p><p>"Fan mail!" Hermione glanced at Harry and Ginny, all three of them erupting into fits of laughter.</p><p>"That's gross…" Ron sat down at the table and let out a loud yawn, stretching his arms over his head. He was still in his pyjamas, and Hermione couldn't help but catch a glimpse of his bare stomach. His muscles were tight, and he had a light line of hair trailing under the waistband of his pyjamas. Her breath caught in her throat, and she willed her cheeks not to burn bright red as she looked away.</p><p>"Help yourself to pancakes, Ron. I may have made too many." Harry pushed an empty plate towards him, and Ron started to pile on the food.</p><p>Harry watched Ron, shaking his head at the amount he added to his plate before turning his attention to Hermione. "So what's the plan for the day, boss?"</p><p>Hermione checked her phone, even though she didn't need to—she had their schedules memorised. "You have a photoshoot this afternoon for some last-minute programme adjustments. It has to be today because they need to get to print."</p><p>"Perfect! I can be a bit lazy. We can recover a little from last night…" Harry smirked at Ron.</p><p>"You can…" Ginny stepped in. "I have training at lunch, and now that my darling brother is awake, he can drive me home." She got up from her seat, smiling over at Hermione. "It was lovely to meet you, Hermione, hopefully, I'll get to see more of you soon…" She leaned closer to Ron briefly. "You lose, by the way, ickle ronniekins."</p><p>The tips of Ron's ears turned pink, but Hermione was more distracted by Ginny's kind words. She had always struggled to make friends in the past, but right now, sitting at the table at ease with Harry, Ginny and Ron, and just being able to laugh over silly things. It felt right. She watched as the couple left the room then turned her attention to Ron.</p><p>She waited until she heard Harry's bedroom door shut, then pulled out the few letters she'd stowed away earlier. Even though Ron was still eating, she pushed them towards him.</p><p>"Hey, before the day starts I just wanted to show you these…"</p><p>"What are they?" Ron frowned but picked up the letters, starting to read them.</p><p>"I only got the bag of mail today, but they have postmarks on them from a few weeks ago. I didn't like the content. Luckily, I was the one who opened them and not Harry and Ginny…"</p><p>Hermione was surprised that some of the letters were quite offensive. They weren't disgusting, like the letter that contained the underwear, but some of the authors threatened Harry's safety. She knew they were probably nothing, and that Harry probably received worse, but she wanted to show them to Ron, just in case.</p><p>"Some of these look like they might be from the same person…" Ron reread the pile of letters, a frown on his face.</p><p>"This sort of thing isn't covered in Sirius' handbook. I know you probably think I'm overreacting, but I just wanted to check with you before I did anything else."</p><p>Ron sighed and put them back on the table, rubbing his forehead. "Harry has had letters like this in the past, but then they stopped suddenly. I've got them somewhere in the house. I'll have a look and see if they match up. If they do, then I think we might be dealing with something a bit bigger than a fan who…" He picked the top letter off the pile. "... thinks Harry's music is a 'massive pile of dog shit'."</p><p>"The person does threaten Harry's life more than once. Do you think we should call the police?"</p><p>Ron drummed his fingers on the table, a sign Hermione already recognised as Ron thinking.</p><p>"Not yet… if we react too early, the cops won't do anything about it. We'd be like the boy who cried wolf. These letters could have come from anywhere." He sighed and looked up at Hermione, his blue eyes etched with worry. They were striking, she thought, and gave her the feeling Ron could see straight through to her soul.</p><p>"Thank you for coming to me with this, instead of Harry or Sirius. I think it's important we work on this together. Can you do me a favour, though? If you find any more, can you bring them straight to me? I don't care what time it is, or if I say I'm busy. This is important, Hermione, I need your help with this."</p><p>The concerned look on his face struck her, and she could see how vital it was that she paid attention and worked with Ron on this. She nodded keenly. "Yes, of course. I'll start a folder so we can keep everything together."</p><p>Ron laughed, immediately breaking the seriousness of the conversation, and flashed her a huge smile. "Sure, if that's what you want!" He passed her back the letters. "I know how much you like filing systems and stuff…"</p><p>If he had said the same thing to her yesterday, she might have thought he was being nasty. But the smile on his face was friendly now and looked genuine enough,</p><p>"I do, you're right. It makes me more efficient. I can sit down with you this afternoon and teach you a few things if you want?"</p><p>"Don't push it…" He still smiled as he stood up and collected all their breakfast things, a move which surprised her. "I think I'm hopeless with that sort of thing, y'know planning and shit…"</p><p>"We'll see." She felt a determined look cross her face, and she got up from the table to help him load the dishwasher. They worked together quickly, and Hermione couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when they ran out of things to tidy.</p><p>"Right, photoshoot at 1, yeah?" Ron smiled a little awkwardly now, and Hermione wondered if he felt the same.</p><p>"Yeah, at the photographer's studio. We need to leave by— "</p><p>"I know how long it takes to drive to the studio, Hermione…" Ron sighed, and she noticed his body language towards her change again. Whatever friendly feelings he may have had towards her had disappeared. "I'll be at the front door, at the time you've told me to be there…"</p><p>"I'm only doing my job, Ron," Hermione argued although she was unsure why she had to justify herself.</p><p>He glanced back at her, looking surprised that she'd answered him the way she did. He looked as if he was contemplating arguing with her, but then he rolled his eyes and left the kitchen.</p><p>Hermione watched him go, feeling frustrated with the situation, but she wouldn't allow herself to wallow in it. She was making progress with him, albeit slowly and now she had a reason to work closely with Ron, she felt it could only get better. If she were a quitter, she might have just handed in her notice, but she wouldn't allow herself to give up on this job and the opportunities that came with it.</p><p>She started to collect up the letters from earlier. Hermione tidied the table then moved to pick up the underwear, using a pair of kitchen tongs to put them in the bin. Ensuring the tongs were securely in the dishwasher, she decided to go back to her office and make a dent in the rest of the mail before they headed out for the day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Breaking Point</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ron finally reaches breaking point with Hermione, and a press conference about Harry's upcoming tour does not go as planned.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am finally starting to catch-up with this fic after taking a break to write Valentine's Day. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Many thanks to be11a and Magpie as always for betaing for me xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>If there was one thing Ron disliked more than getting woken up earlier than when he wanted, it was plans, schedules and other tools that dictated where he needed to be and when. He was happy to do the bare minimum to ensure that Harry got to where he needed to be on time but after only a week, having his day planned down to the very minute was starting to get on Ron’s nerves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Being rudely awoken by his mobile phone buzzing across his bedside table did nothing to help this feeling. The cheery little tune yanked him begrudgingly out of his dream. He reached for the phone blindly, getting it on his fourth attempt and hitting it just the right way to make it snooze, before rolling back over and trying to get back to his delightful dream. Just as he started to drift off again, the bright little ditty struck back up, and the phone continued its dance across the wooden surface.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off!” This time Ron opened one eye, grabbing the phone on his first go and hitting snooze once more. It was 7:35. “Who the hell is even awake at 7:35?!” He mumbled to himself as he once again burrowed deep under his duvet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This back and forth continued for half an hour and by 8 am, the phone stopped allowing Ron to put it on snooze. He swore at it twice before pushing his head under the pillow, but it was no good, the phone continued to sing it’s merry song at him, getting louder and louder until he pulled himself into a sitting position to scowl at it. He rubbed his eyes and scrambled for the phone, which had gotten lost in the depths of his bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I’m awake, now shut the fuck up!” He glared at the phone before finally getting the alarm to turn off. He contemplated hurling the device across the room to shut it up for forever. But then he saw the words “Monday Morning Meeting” on the front screen and let his head roll back, a loud groan escaping his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sirius didn’t ask for a lot from Ron, Hermione and the rest of the staff he hired to look after Harry. For most of the week, as long as they were at the appointments they needed to be, they could do what they wanted, and Sirius provided a wealth of entertainment and other options for them to pass their time. But the Monday Morning Meeting was a chance for the whole staff to get together and discuss what needed to be done for the week. The only excuse Sirius would accept for not making the meeting was death, and at his last check, Ron was very much alive. For a brief moment, he contemplated going back to bed anyway and suffering Sirius’ wrath but instead, he forced himself out from under the duvet and made his way wearily to his bathroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he was finally dressed and ready for the day, Ron dragged himself down the stairs. He diverted away from Sirius’ office to get himself breakfast and a coffee. As he ate, he scrolled through his phone, trying to catch up on the day’s plans. He felt his blood steadily start to boil as he worked through Hermione’s long list of changes for the week. She had finally gone too far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He abandoned his breakfast and stormed into the study, slamming his phone down on Sirius’ desk. “What the hell is this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sirius’ lips twitched, pushing Ron further into his rage. “It’s a phone, Ronald.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know it’s a fucking phone, but who the hell changed the location of Thursday’s press conference to today at the O2?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron watched as Sirius’ eyes flitted to Hermione, who was sitting on one side of the desk. In his fury, he hadn’t even noticed her there. Ron turned towards her, finally exploding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You had no right!” He had finally reached his breaking point with her constant rescheduling and interfering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, I do.” She remained in her seat, her legs crossed at the ankle and looking calm. “We were going to be at the O2 anyway, and it didn’t make sense for all of the invited media to travel to Watford another day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry is travelling to Birmingham tonight, I’ve got all the cars booked to leave from the house. By the time he gets back here, it’ll be too late! You should have spoken to me first!” Ron was seeing red and knew he was overreacting. Her calm demeanour just made him feel worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ron…” Sirius intervened, shifting forward in his seat before placing both elbows on his desk, clasping his hands in front of his face. “I was the one who asked Hermione to change our plans. It makes sense to get it all done in London while we’re there. I’ll drive Harry to Birmingham later. I was planning on going anyway, and the long drive will be nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what about me?” Ron spluttered. “Should I just get a train home?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can take your own car and drive Hermione back, or were you planning on just abandoning her in London?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sirius looked annoyed now, but Ron didn’t back down. He could feel his cheeks burning red, hating that the argument had been turned against him. He cast his attention back to Hermione.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just stop meddling. It’s bad enough having you here organising every sodding minute of our lives. You need to talk to me about shit!” He threw himself into the empty chair next to Harry dramatically after scooping his phone back off the desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could feel Hermione’s eyes on him, but he resolutely looked ahead. It took a while for her to finally speak up, and when she did, her voice was strained as if she was trying her hardest to remain professional. The thought gave Ron a small buzz of satisfaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I tried to speak to you, Ron. I came up to your office five times on Friday, but you didn’t want to hear from me. I gave up in the end and decided to use the autonomy Sirius has given me to make decisions regarding Harry’s schedule.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron turned towards her quickly. “I was busy preparing for the press conference that we were hosting in the Watford Marriott.” He kept eye contact with her, locked in a battle of nerves. He refused to be the first person to look away. He could feel the mood in the room shift around him, turning frosty as the other team members sat awkwardly around them, but Ron didn’t care. He felt like Hermione had broken his trust and, as he was already feeling the strain of having her thrust into their lives so suddenly, it was hard to move past it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had spent all of the past week working their way through Harry’s fanmail in the search for more threatening letters. He had even started to enjoy her presence. Outside of her irritating need to organise their entire lives, she was quite personable, and he found they actually had a lot to talk about. The fact that they may have just ruined that only served to fuel Ron’s irritation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, he broke eye contact with her, pretending to look at his phone. However, he continued to watch Hermione slyly, feeling a twinge of guilt. She looked defeated and tired, and he realised he probably hadn’t been making things easy for her. He flinched as she lifted her eyes, glancing at him briefly before looking away again. He let out a heavy sigh and ran his hand over his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sirius started going through their plans for the week. There were only a few days before the start of the tour, but it was the anniversary of Harry’s parents’ deaths this week—which is why he was travelling up to Birmingham. He and Sirius had made it an annual journey, although Harry would often make it alone if Sirius wasn’t available. This meant the rest of the staff would get a few days of peace before the craziness started back up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Due to the week’s lack of appointments, the meeting was unusually short, and Sirius soon dismissed everyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not you Ron. You can stay behind.” Sirius had his arms folded across his chest, and Ron felt his stomach lurch. He cast his eyes to Harry, but the traitor was deliberately looking away as he left the room. Ron was on his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sirius waited until the room was empty. He got up and strode away from his desk, ensuring the door was closed before rounding on Ron.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to give Hermione a break!” He sat back down at his desk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temple. This was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> undeserved. Years of loyalty to Harry and Sirius, and he was being repaid by being reprimanded at the first sign of trouble. It wasn’t even entirely his fault.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ron reclined in his seat, trying to look nonchalant as he toyed with a snag in his jeans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You pick up on every little thing she does and turn it into something negative. You need to stop it, or it’ll be you looking for a new job at the end of the three months. And that’s a real threat this time. I’m not joking anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron risked a look at Sirius, and immediately his breath dropped heavily into his stomach. He felt sick. Without his job, he would have nothing and would be forced back to Devon and his parents' house. Although he managed to save quite a lot of money, it wouldn’t last him long, and he couldn’t imagine what other work he could do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s just winding me up, Sirius. I’m fed up with it. The two of you put your heads together, make all of these plans, and completely forget that I work here. I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>head</span>
  </em>
  <span> of security, not just a random bodyguard. My job is just as important as hers, but you two have buddied up. I’m fed up with being left out of the big decisions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sirius stood up, a thunderous look on his face. “You deliberately miss the meetings she sets up or ignore her when she tries to speak to you. Do you think she doesn’t tell me these things? You cannot expect to do your job properly without talking to her. You don’t have to be best friends, she’s not looking to replace you in Harry’s life, but at least try and get on with her!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron got to his feet quickly, squaring up to Sirius. His heart was pounding so angrily, he could hear it’s erratic thump in his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, so the two of you have been talking about me behind my back?! You could have tried to employ someone who isn’t such a stuffy know-it-all. I mean, how the hell is she supposed to work in this industry with a fucking rod up her arse? There’s a million bloody PAs out there, and you go and choose the one who doesn’t even know how to have fun!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stormed away from his boss, done with the conversation. He yanked the door open and was startled to see Hermione waiting there, a fist raised as if to knock it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I left my notebook. I need it for…” She trailed off, looking pale. Ron could see tears pooling in her eyes, and he felt an immediate surge of regret. There was no point in asking if she heard their argument, it was written all over her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hermione, I…” He stepped forward, trying to make an attempt at an apology but she turned quickly around. He watched as she moved through the hallway and up the stairs, her breaths punctuated with heavy sobs. He was still watching long after he heard her bedroom door slam shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t realise Sirius was standing behind him until he felt his boss clamp his hand down on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand your frustrations, I really do. But this is the end of it, okay. I’ll speak to her and make sure she consults with you about the big changes, but you have to make an effort to get along with her. Understand?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron nodded, his cheeks burning in shame. He was a champion at putting his foot in his mouth, but this had the potential to be the worst thing he had ever done. He felt instant remorse—he didn’t hate Hermione enough to want to upset her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~*~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron drove to the O2 Arena on the Greenwich Peninsula by himself. He didn’t even protest when both Hermione and Harry climbed into Sirius’ car as they left the house. He wouldn’t be surprised if everyone hated him now. A flicker of guilt stung him as he remembered Hermione getting into the car, her coat pulled tightly around her slender frame despite the uncharacteristically warm weather.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He considered just driving past the turning to the arena and carrying on, seeing how far his tank of petrol would get him. Maybe if he was lucky, he could hop a ferry and see if some French artist needed security help. That seemed like a better prospect than having to face Harry and Sirius’ disappointment in him. He wasn’t deliberately a nasty guy, but that just made what he had said about Hermione ten times worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, he pulled off the main road and parked his car next to Sirius’. He peered over at the vehicle as he stepped out of his own—they had gone in without him. Ron sighed and locked up before shoving his hands into his jean pockets, deliberately dawdling as he headed into the Arena.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron knew his way through the myriad of corridors that snaked their way around the building well, including the short-cut that took him through the food court and took five minutes off his journey. Only a few days ago, Ron had been looking forward to showing Hermione the secrets of the massive place, which had looked like a labyrinth to him when he, Harry and Sirius had first visited. Despite his wealth of knowledge about the venue, Ron took the long way around to the actual arena.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stepped into the large hall, shuddering at the coolness of the room. It was mental how different the place looked without people in it. Harry, Sirius and Hermione were at the top end of the room where, in a few weeks, a massive stage would be set up. He had time to turn around and disappear since none of them noticed his appearance, but he took a deep breath and headed towards them, keen to get the morning’s meetings out of the way. The press conference would be easier. He’d be able to keep his distance from everyone. Hopefully, he’d get a chance to apologise to Hermione during the drive home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trio barely glanced at him as he joined where they stood. Luckily, the venue’s meetings ran smoothly—Harry had performed so many times there now that the place knew what setups were needed. The upcoming tour would finish here, and Sirius was keen for it to go off with a bang. If this tour was successful, they would start to plan a world tour, which was always a favourite of Ron’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he still had a job by then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the meetings were finished, they were led to the conference suite which had already been set up for the incoming press. The green room was directly behind the suite, and lunch had been left for them. Ron considered wandering over to the food court and getting something for himself, so he could be alone. Instead, he forced his feet into the room, keeping his head low. He picked up a small amount of food, but he wasn’t really feeling hungry—guilt was still riding through his stomach. He found a quiet corner in the room and settled into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t long before he spotted Harry making his way over to him, his plate stacked high with food. Ron perked up a little, and he even managed a small smile as his best friend sat next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you finished sulking?” Harry turned his head to look at Ron, a pointed look on his face, and Ron once again felt his cheeks start to burn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A little. I think I upset Hermione though.” Ron nodded over to where Sirius and Hermione were talking, heads bent close together. Ron felt a twinge of annoyance at the sight of them yet again discussing work without involving him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t just upset her Ron. She overheard everything you said. It took the entire journey over here for Sirius to persuade her not to quit!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron sighed and put his plate down on the table, the small appetite he had vanished completely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I fucked up, didn’t I?”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a little…” Harry smiled wryly. “I know you’ve already had a bollocking off Sirius and you know I’m not going to do the same but can you just try, for me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron nodded slowly. “If she’ll talk to me…” He sighed and picked at a sandwich.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their lunch break didn’t last long, and they were soon summoned into action by Sirius and Hermione. This was her first press conference, and Ron figured he could make a start at making it up to her by putting in the extra effort so that it ran smoothly. He abandoned his food and followed the group out into the suite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He started by ensuring the group of venue security were briefed on the session. Like the meeting in the arena earlier, they were used to these sorts of things, but it always made sense to touch base. Once that was done, he set up his and Hermione’s walkie talkies; ensuring they were all on the same channel and that the system was working correctly. He took a deep breath before heading over to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll need to get used to using these. They’re pretty straight forward though.” He smiled as he offered the device to her, trying to ignore her lack of eye contact. “This bit in your ear and, well, you’re clever enough to work out the rest of it. We’re on channel 5, and you press this button to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took comfort in the fact she didn’t turn away from him entirely or act in any way hostile towards him as she set herself up and let Ron check. Still, it would have been nice if she could have at least acknowledged that he was trying to talk to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, you’re good to go.” He observed her closely, looking to see if there was any chance he could get to speak to her more, but then a voice appeared in his ear, signalling that the journalists had started to turn up. He sighed and moved away from her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon the room was full of chatting journalists. Ron tried his best to work his way back around the room to Hermione, desperate now to talk to her and clear the air but every time he got close, another voice appeared in his ear and pulled him away. The situation grew more and more frustrating, but at least he was getting a chance to prove he took his job seriously. Eventually, he settled in a spot where he could see everyone, then watched as Harry and Sirius took to the elevated stage to start answering questions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Press conferences like this bored Ron. He already knew everything about Harry. The British journalists used the same repertoire of questions every time, and they rarely deviated from them. He started to tune out as the usual questions bounced around the room: </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Where are the tour locations, what is the setlist, which song are you looking forward to performing the most, what do you do to relax once the tour is over?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> To be fair, it wasn’t all their fault. Sirius usually sent out a list of approved topics they could talk about, so they were extremely limited in what they could ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His ears pricked as a journalist he didn’t recognise appeared above the sea of bodies, and Ron rubbed a hand over his face, forcing himself to pay attention. She was standing up from her seat now and introducing herself as Rita Skeeter from The Sun, one of the worst tabloid newspapers in the UK. Ron groaned and pressed the button on his walkie talkie. “Watch out for this one…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as Hermione reacted, running a finger down the list on the clipboard in her hands before frantically shaking her head. She didn’t need to say anything, Ron understood—this Skeeter woman shouldn’t be here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry Potter. Rita Skeeter here.” The journalist had tight blonde curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. Her use of Harry’s full name distracted Ron briefly. There was a strict rule not to use it, and usually, the journalists respected that rule. Ron pushed himself off his perch and started to creep closer to her row. Rita continued with her question. She had a dictaphone in her hand and Ron could see bright, pointed, scarlet fingernails wrapped around it. They looked like talons. The woman cleared her voice before speaking again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it true you have rekindled your relationship with Ginevra Weasley?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an audible gasp, and Ron stopped in his tracks as the rest of the audience turned to glance up at this newcomer who dared to ask a question not on the list of pre-approved topics. Harry looked equally surprised, and Ron could see his hands curl into fists on the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron picked up his speed, trying to get to her before she could do any more damage. When Rita didn’t get an answer from Harry, she spoke again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it true that Ginny has been fired from Chelsea Women’s Football club for missing too many training sessions to spend time with you? Is it true she’s planning on coming on this tour with you instead of playing in the Championship League games?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron weaved his way through the seated journalists and got to the woman just as Sirius got to his feet, calling an end to the conference. Sirius placed a hand firmly on Harry’s shoulder and started to lead him out of the room just as Ron clamped his hands around Rita’s upheld arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s time you left, Ms Skeeter.” He pulled her carefully from where she was standing, using a measured amount of force so as not to hurt her, although the thought did enter his mind. Ron steered Rita firmly out of the suite and down the corridor towards the exit. He wanted to be as far from the room as possible before he spoke to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know I’ll write my story anyway. It’s only fair I gave Harry a chance to put his side forward.” The woman righted herself as Ron let go of her. “The story will be in the paper tomorrow.” Despite her sudden ejection from the room, she carried on with her trajectory towards the exit without a backwards glance. Ron watched her go, shaking his head in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who the hell was that?” He didn’t realise he had company until he heard Hermione’s voice behind him. He turned quickly, his heart hammering in his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve not seen her before, and she’s not on the list.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione rechecked her clipboard. “I don’t know how she got in. Everyone on my crew got the same list. I’ll speak to them once the rest of the media have left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron sighed. “We’ve had worse. They’re vultures—desperate for an invite to these things, and they’ll do anything to get in. She may have been using a fake pass.” He turned to look at her now and was surprised to see Hermione seemed as annoyed as he felt. Her eyebrows were furled, and she had a venomous look in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well don’t you worry, she won’t be getting into any more of our events. I’ll make sure of that.” Hermione had her eyes fixed on the retreating lime green business suit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron couldn’t help but laugh. Despite her small stature, he believed Hermione’s threatening tone. The moment didn’t last long as he realised he was finally alone with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hermione, listen I…” He rubbed the back of his neck, lost for words, despite the fact he had been planning his speech all day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Forget it!” She glanced up at him quickly before turning to walk away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hermione, come on…” He followed after her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean it, Ron. I don’t want to hear about it. I’m just trying to do my job! I didn’t deserve what you said to Sirius about me.” She continued to walk away, weaving through the journalists now leaving the conference suite. Suddenly, she stopped, and a poor bloke almost walked into her. “Just from now on we’ll only talk about work, okay? I’ll email you any important changes, and then you can be informed about things. If you have any other issues, you can email me back about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron shrunk back as she poked her finger at his chest, tears of frustration in her eyes. The same wrath she had just shown Rita Skeeter was now directed towards him, which scared him. He started to speak but swallowed his words, choosing instead to nod at her before following her quietly back up the corridor.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Break-in</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>With things still difficult between Ron and Hermione, can a late-night incident help them to clear the air?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Heya! I'm so glad you're still enjoying this. I'm finally getting ahead of myself with the chapters, so here's another update. My work is going to start getting busy, but I hope to still update this regularly. Many thanks, as always, to be11a and Magpie who have beta'd this! :-) As always, if you enjoyed please leave a review and if you don't, still leave a review, but remember to be nice! :-) Stay safe xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The house's atmosphere was frosty that evening, with Hermione and Ron both locking themselves away in their respective rooms. They cooked and ate alone, and if they happened to cross paths in the corridors of the large house, they acknowledged each other with a slight nod, then moved on quickly.</p><p>Fortunately, Ron hadn't made another attempt to talk to Hermione. It had meant journeying back from London in silence. Still, she had preferred that over a stilted conversation that would only serve to upset her more. Hermione needed both hands to count the number of times that they'd had a car journey like this, and she hadn't been in the job for two weeks yet.</p><p>The whole situation made Hermione even more miserable. Now, locked safely in her bedroom, her thoughts were taunting her. She just couldn't settle. She turned on her side. She sat up, then laid back down. She paced the room, but she just drove herself crazy. Eventually, she gave up on sleeping and settled back in bed with her book.</p><p>She wasn't surprised she felt this way. From overhearing Ron bitching about her to Sirius, then having to deal with Rita Skeeter and everything else that had happened in between, she felt more than a little overwhelmed.</p><p>On the way to the O2 that morning, Hermione had ranted to Sirius and Harry about the situation. She felt ashamed of her behaviour now she was looking back at it. But at the time, she had been close to quitting, and she didn't really have anyone else to talk to about it. Luckily, during the hour's car ride, the pair had persuaded her to stick with the job, for now. They were adamant Ron didn't usually behave this way.</p><p>The whole predicament was made even more annoying as she thought she had been making some serious progress with Ron. They had spent the best part of the last week sifting through all nine bags of fan mail. She and Ron had worked so well together, it was like they had always been colleagues. They'd even had a small amount of banter. So far, they had identified almost fifty pieces of mail that looked like they were from the same sender. Whoever was writing them really hated Harry.</p><p>The letters were now all filed into a folder, which was locked away in Ron's office. Hermione had also taken pains to scan every piece into her computer just in case. She'd tagged every file by content, a system that had greatly amused Ron. For now, they had agreed to keep this between themselves. The threats were still relatively low key, so they weren't too worried about them.</p><p>It had felt nice, sharing a secret with Ron. They'd bonded over it. Hermione supposed all that hard work had been undone now.</p><p>Hermione let out a heavy sigh and closed her book. She had been staring at the same page for over an hour now, the words blurring and dancing around. She had never felt so lost. She contemplated going out onto the balcony for some fresh air. But Ron had access to it too. She didn't want to risk a confrontation after spending all evening skirting around him, especially on no sleep.</p><p>Instead, Hermione listened to the silence of the house. It was almost too quiet, especially for a usually bustling place. People came and went all the time, and there was a constant hum of activity. Surprisingly, she enjoyed it. She also liked living with Harry, Sirius and Ron. Initially, she had been a bit wary about living in a house full of men. Still, she was pleasantly surprised with how companionable they'd been. One of them was always around for a chat if she needed it.</p><p>She had always been a bit of a loner, but she'd found an unexpected friendship in Harry (and Ron when he was in a good mood with her), and it had flipped her life entirely.</p><p>Hermione let out another sigh and put her book on the side table. She reached for the lamp, deciding to turn it off and give sleep another chance when she heard the sound of a glass smashing downstairs. Ron was so clumsy sometimes, she only hoped he'd clean up after himself, so she didn't step in it when she got up in the morning.</p><p>With her lamp now extinguished, she lay down and tried to get herself settled. Her eyes started to get heavy, and she was about to drift off when an ear-piercing ringing echoed through the house. She almost jumped out of her skin. She waited for the sound to stop, but it continued, causing Hermione's heart to race.</p><p>Something was wrong.</p><p>Hermione rushed out of bed and barrelled towards the door, unlocking it and heading into the dark corridor. The loud noise disorientated her, and she paused, gasping for breath.</p><p>She knew she wasn't alone, and Hermione froze in her steps, listening as she could hear footsteps nearing her, barely audible above the screech of the alarm.</p><p>This was it, she thought, as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her attacker spun her around, and Hermione was about to strike out until she saw Ron's piercing blue eyes, shining through the darkness.</p><p>"What the fuck, Ron? You scared me!"</p><p>Now that her eyes were slowly adjusting to the gloom, she could see the worried look on his face. He had his spare hand clamped against an ear in an attempt to block out the wailing. He tightened his grip on her.</p><p>"Stay in your room," Ron shouted in an attempt to be heard over the alarm. "Do not move until I tell you. Promise me, Hermione?"</p><p>She started to argue back—she could look after herself after all, but the concern on Ron's face kept her quiet. Something was seriously wrong. Hermione nodded, and as soon as he let go of her, she retreated into the safety of her bedroom, although she refused to shut the door.</p><p>Hermione's heartbeat did not slow down—she could feel it hammering against her rib cage. She shivered in the early morning air. The house was always so cold. She remembered her dressing gown hanging on the back of the bedroom door, and she reached around to grab it, pulling it on without removing her eyes from the dark corridor.</p><p>Eventually, the alarm stopped, although she could hear the after-effects ringing through her head. Slowly, the lights in the house started to come on as Ron moved through each room. Knowing he was there brought a small amount of comfort. Hermione rested her head against the doorframe, stifling a yawn even though she knew sleep was far away now. The amount of adrenaline coursing through her body would keep her awake without the added terror of a potential break-in.</p><p>"Hermione? You can come down now just, put something on your feet and be careful where you walk, okay?"</p><p>She pulled her slippers on and slowly headed downstairs, still feeling wary about what could be potentially greeting her. She caught sight of Ron waiting at the bottom of the staircase and breathed a small sigh of relief.</p><p>"What happened? Is everything okay?"</p><p>He let out a heavy sigh. "It looks like someone broke in through the backdoor. I don't even bloody know how as I thought the garden was well protected. I won't even be able to look until tomorrow morning. I've called the police, and they're on their way over. Whoever it was must have scarpered, there's no sign of them in the house."</p><p>Hermione nodded and let Ron lead her through to the kitchen. She tried to stay close to him, noting curiously how comforting she found his presence. He was wearing pyjamas too, but the bottoms barely reached his ankles, and he had a pair of trainers on his feet, giving him the look of an overgrown toddler.</p><p>"Bloody hell…" Hermione gasped as she took in the state of the kitchen. There was glass everywhere, and it looked like a lot of the cupboards had been ransacked. "Was this the only room they've been in?"</p><p>"Yeah, by the looks of it—" Ron was suddenly distracted, and as she turned to look at him, she realised he was staring at her pink fluffy slippers. "Seriously, Hermione?! I told you to put something on your feet to protect them from the glass. That's the best you could do? Do you ever just think?!"</p><p>Hermione burned under his accusations. The guy was seriously shouting at her given everything else that was going on at the moment?! She scoffed. "Well, I'm sorry. If you'd given me better instructions, then I would have been more prepared…"</p><p>She stomped out of the kitchen without waiting for further comments. She got to the hallway and dug through the piles of shoes on the rack at the front door, eventually finding a pair of her own. She briefly wondered how many pairs of trainers the men in the household owned, but she pushed the thought aside—it wasn't the time. She slid the shoes on without even thinking then stormed back through to the kitchen, stopping at a cupboard on the way to grab a dustpan and some rubbish bags.</p><p>"There! Are these more to your liking?!"</p><p>Hermione was surprised when Ron took one glance at her before bursting out laughing. The sound echoed in the room, melting any of the remaining tension between the pair of them. Hermione almost threw the cleaning supplies at him until she glanced down at her feet. In her haste, she had pulled on her sturdy court shoes. She must have looked a sight, especially when paired with her flannel pyjama bottoms and fluffy, pink fleece dressing gown.</p><p>"You. Look. Ridiculous." Ron struggled to speak in between laughs, and she felt the corners of her mouth twitch.</p><p>"Well, you're not exactly the height of fashion, Ron Weasley!" She joined in with his laughter. The pair laughed until they ran out of breath and every time they thought they'd stopped, it only took one glance at each other before they'd start up again.</p><p>Eventually, they calmed down, and Hermione rolled up her dressing gown sleeves before showing him the cleaning supplies. "Help me clean up?"</p><p>"Wait!" Ron grabbed her arm as she started to move, and Hermione felt a tingle of electricity course through her skin, forcing her to shiver. "I don't think we should touch anything until the police come. They'll want to fingerprint it…"</p><p>Hermione nodded and set the dustpan aside, although she didn't pull her arm from his grip.</p><p>"Why don't I get us a glass of wine? Do you drink red?" The moment was gone as Ron finally let go of her and moved gingerly towards the wine rack, being careful not to disturb anything. He pulled a bottle out at random. "There are glasses we can use in the front room. It'll be warmer there…"</p><p>Ron escorted her to the living room, and Hermione was pleased to feel his hand in the small of her back again. Her heartbeat slowed, and a comforting energy returned to the air. He grabbed two glasses from the drinks cart in the corner of the room and set them down on the coffee table, almost filling them to the top. He waited for Hermione to settle on the large sofa before passing her a glass. Eventually, Ron settled at the other end with his own drink. He suppressed a yawn, and, subconsciously, Hermione yawned too.</p><p>"Were you struggling to sleep?" Ron was peering over his glass at her. Hermione contemplated lying but instead decided to lay everything down in front of him.</p><p>"Yeah. A lot is going on in my brain at the moment. I had just finished reading when the alarm went off."</p><p>Ron immediately looked away, guilt flushing his cheeks. "What kind of stuff?"</p><p>She chewed her bottom lip briefly. "I was considering whether I should call it quits on this job or persevere, and hope that whatever is going on between us will eventually get better…"</p><p>"I'm sorry," Ron cleared his throat before turning his attention back to her. "So sorry Hermione. I never meant to hurt you."</p><p>Hermione could have accepted his apology, and she knew that eventually, they would move past this moment. Instead, she decided to pull the plaster off now hoping that it might completely clear the air and things could start getting better sooner.</p><p>"Look, I'm not going to pussyfoot around this to save your feelings, Ron. What you said hurt me a lot. And to make it worse, you said it behind my back to my boss. My reputation around here means a lot to me."</p><p>Ron took a long draw on his wine. "You just…" He sighed. "You came in here, and suddenly everything has changed. Harry and Sirius used to listen to my input and value what I had to say and instead, they're turning to you to make decisions, and I've been reverted to a lackey—"</p><p>"You're not a lackey, Ron. You're <em>really</em> good at what you do. Honestly, I didn't even know there were so many things to consider in this industry." Hermione flinched at the look he gave her for interrupting him. "Sorry…"</p><p>"I know I'm not a lackey. But it feels like even if I have my say, you don't even listen to me. I guess I just got pissed off when you changed the conference without talking to me. And before you interrupt me again…" Ron gave her another look and Hermione couldn't help the small smile that crept over her face. "I know you did try to talk to me about it, and I'm sorry I ignored you."</p><p>Hermione weighed his words carefully. She didn't even realise she'd been pushing Ron's opinions away or disregarding him in any way. Sometimes she could be a bit bullheaded, mowing down anyone in her way to get what she wanted. She knew she needed to start taking a step back and consider all angles before acting.</p><p>"I guess I could start involving you more in decisions. I shouldn't be doing everything in isolation anyway. Every change I make affects your plans after all…"</p><p>"I mean, I don't need to be involved in <em>everything</em>." Ron pulled a face. "I can't think of anything worse. Plus you may risk training me too well in being a PA, and then you'll be out of a job!"</p><p>Ron had turned more towards her throughout their conversation, and he flashed her a lop-sided grin that almost stole her breath away. He looked even more handsome in the dimmed lighting, even though he had bags under his eyes that matched hers. Hermione couldn't help but smile back.</p><p>"Yeah, I don't want that. I would like the extension on my contract. And apart from you being a complete arse, I am actually enjoying myself—break-ins and death threats aside!"</p><p>Ron laughed, throwing his back in a way that showed off the curve of his neck and his Adam's apple. Hermione had a fleeting thought about how good it would feel to press kisses against his skin. She felt her cheeks heat up as she shook the idea from her head.</p><p>"Okay, I deserved that—even though the accusation really hurts me, Hermione!"</p><p>She decided to change the subject before she did something she regretted. They only just started to clear the air, anything else would just complicate things further.</p><p>"So—Birmingham? How come you're okay letting Harry go up there with only Sirius. I thought it was your job to follow him around everywhere?"</p><p>Ron shrugged, although the smile stayed firmly on his face. "It's a private thing, and I'm not a part of that. Not even Ginny gets to go with him. His parents' accident was so tragic. It was a miracle that Harry survived, and only Sirius can share that with him. He and Harry's dad, James, were really close and it was like Sirius lost a brother.</p><p>"Anyway, it sounds like you're saying that I'm only good for being Harry's bodyguard," Ron teased. "There's a lot more to me than just that, you know?"</p><p>"Yeah? Like what?"</p><p>"Well, I'm a chess genius!" Ron puffed up his chest like a peacock, and Hermione laughed.</p><p>"You play chess?" Hermione tried to mask her surprise, although evidently, she didn't do a good enough job.</p><p>"What? Like you're the only clever person around here, Hermione Granger?" Ron smirked and downed the rest of his wine just as the intercom at the front gate rang. "That will be the police. It's probably best you stay here, so we don't subject them to your horrific fashion sense. They may need a statement from you, so try and stay awake, yeah?"</p><p>Ron left his empty wine glass on the coffee table and got up to let the police into the house. Hermione risked a glance at the small clock on the mantelpiece; it was almost 4am.</p><p>She sipped at her wine as she listened to the low murmur of Ron, talking to the police and leading them through the house. Knowing that he was taking care of things comforted her. He was really good at his job. She fought off the urge to go and join him. She was only in her pyjamas, and she must look a state. In her panic earlier, she hadn't even had a chance to take in her appearance before she left her bedroom.</p><p>Hermione resisted sleep as she waited to be needed and was surprised when she heard Ron saying goodbye to the police and closing the door. Eventually, he reappeared in the living room, giving her a small smile.</p><p>"Come on you, it's safe for us to go to bed now!" He took her empty glass from her hands and put it next to his before holding his hand out. She took it, and let him pull her to her feet. She was so tired now.</p><p>"Didn't the police want to speak to me?" She felt a pang of loss as Ron let go of her hand, but she was soon comforted as he placed his hand on the small of her back again. If she had been less tired, she might have argued with him about personal boundaries, but this was the third time it had happened now, and Hermione kind of liked it.</p><p>They turned the lights off as they moved through the house and up the stairs.</p><p>"Nah, they said they'll come back in the morning. They helped me to board up the door. We didn't do a great job, but we'll be safe enough tonight, and I've already texted someone to come and replace the windows tomorrow morning. I think I'll wait and tell Sirius once he's home, let him focus on Harry for now…"</p><p>Ron stopped walking, and Hermione realised they were standing outside her bedroom door.</p><p>"Do you think you'll be okay to sleep tonight? You don't want me to check your room or office?"</p><p>She smiled softly at the thought, marvelling at how quickly yet again, the dynamics of their friendship had shifted. She was surprised she didn't have emotional whiplash.</p><p>"I think I'll be okay now. At least there are no work-related appointments tomorrow."</p><p>"We just need to sort out the door and speak to the police. They'll be here around 10 tomorrow, is that too early for you?"</p><p>Hermione shook her head. "I'll be awake."</p><p>"Good. Well, you know where I am if you need anything, okay?"</p><p>Hermione moved past Ron and into her room but lingered at the doorway. For some reason, she was finding it hard to say goodnight to him.</p><p>"Thank you, Ron. Good night."</p><p>"G'night, 'Mione." He gave her a weary wave then trundled up the corridor to his room.</p><p>Hermione watched him go, waiting until he was in his room before closing her door. Even though she knew there was nobody in the house now, she checked every wardrobe and door before climbing into bed. Hermione was so distracted with her investigation and how tired she was that she didn't even realise he'd used a nickname for her. Usually, she detested the things, but she thought she was going to let this one slide.</p><p>Anyway, she kind of liked it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Seamus Finnigan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's the morning after the break-in and despite their late-night (or early morning), the work hasn't stopped for Ron &amp; Hermione</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Saturday. Now we've got all the drama out of the way (well, for the time being anyway), Ron &amp; Hermione can start working on that old working relationship. I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, if you did leave me a review and if you didn't, be constructive! :) Thanks as always to be11a and Magpie xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Ron dragged himself downstairs the following morning. His limbs were heavy, and he could feel the slow pulse of pain in his head—it was all he bloody needed.</p><p>Over the past six years, there had only been a few incidents where Ron had to put his security expertise into practice. Working security was like playing chess; it required Ron to think three steps ahead. He did a lot of preventative work to ensure everything ran smoothly as far as Harry's safety was concerned.</p><p>Still, last night had been bloody scary.</p><p>At least their early morning wake up call had given him and Hermione the opportunity to clear the air. Ron felt as if their conversation had lifted a massive weight from his shoulders, and before he'd drifted off to sleep that night, he had made a promise to himself that he would continue to work hard at keeping things this way.</p><p>It helped that Hermione was easy to get on with once she chilled out a little.</p><p>Ron's first stop that morning was to check on the kitchen—which was in the same condition they'd left it in last night. Ron cringed at the amount of glass on the floor and the sorry state of all the units. Sirius was going to go crazy when he found out.</p><p>Yawning, Ron wandered through to the living room. He was surprised to see Hermione curled up on the sofa, her head firmly buried in a book. He hesitated; what if now she'd had time to sleep on it, she decided she was still mad with him?</p><p>He contemplated leaving her alone so as not to disturb her, but before he could turn on his heels, Hermione lifted her head from her book and gave him a small smile. The look on her face was friendly enough, so Ron took a deep breath and headed further into the room.</p><p>"Hey…" He settled in one of the armchairs, rubbing at his eyes.</p><p>"Hey, good morning. I wasn't expecting you up yet!" She placed a marker on her page then closed her book, leaving it on the arm of the settee.</p><p>"Yeah, got to see the police, haven't I?" Ron threw her a smile and was pleased when she returned it quickly. He took it as a good sign that she had forgiven him for yesterday.</p><p>Hermione opened her mouth to talk, but she was interrupted by the sound of Ron's stomach growling loudly. She let out a gentle laugh before finally speaking.</p><p>"I realised we wouldn't be able to use the kitchen this morning, so I walked into the village and picked us up some breakfast…" She nodded towards the paper bag that sat on the coffee table between them. "I wasn't sure what you would want, so I grabbed a few options!"</p><p>"You're bloody brilliant, Hermione. I'm starving!" Ron reached for the bag eagerly, not even checking what she'd bought him before shoving it in his mouth. He grinned over at Hermione, who's cheeks were turning pink.</p><p>"You're welcome." She watched him thoughtfully before shaking her head and turning back to her book.</p><p>"What?!" He mumbled through his full mouth.</p><p>"It's nothing. You just really like your food, don't you?"</p><p>Ron deliberately took a bigger bite of his bagel, making a show of eating it. "I'm still a growing lad!"</p><p>"You're a pig!" The smile on her face grew despite her insult, and Ron knew she was teasing him. His pulse quickened, although he tried his best to play it cool, lounging back in the seat as he finished his breakfast.</p><p>"Have the papers come yet?" Ron dug in the bag for another bagel, but he stopped as he noticed a hesitant look appear across Hermione's face. "What is it?" He sighed, abandoning the bag and holding his hand out. She rifled through the pile of papers on the sofa next to her before passing him <em>The Sun</em>.</p><p>"Rita isn't happy."</p><p>Ron read the front page, but there was no sign of an article on Harry or Ginny, so that was good. He flicked through the awful tabloid until he got to the sports pages and saw the headline blazing across the back page.</p><p>
  <strong>WEASLEY QUITS FOR TOUR WITH POTTER</strong>
</p><p>He let out another heavy sigh.</p><p>"It's bad, isn't it?"</p><p>Ron held a finger out, indicating she should let him read the article first before they could discuss it. He took his time, digesting the words carefully to make sure he fully understood them. Finally, he folded the paper onto his lap.</p><p>"Well, it's more damaging to Ginny than Harry, really." Ron let out a heavy sigh. He needed to ring his sister and check she was okay, but the police would be here at any moment, and he needed to deal with that too.</p><p>As if on cue, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He hadn't even checked it when he'd woken up this morning. He pulled it out and scanned the message from Harry.</p><p>
  <em>Ginny ok. I will be home by 5. Can you pick her up?</em>
</p><p>Ron texted back a quick reply before throwing his phone on the side.</p><p>"Harry's coming home early. He wants me to go and pick up Ginny and get her here before he's back."</p><p>"That's understandable. Is there anything I can do?"</p><p>"Not at the moment," Ron shook his head. "Chances are Sirius will want a meeting later. He'll text you about it, though, so you can call everyone together. The publicists, etc."</p><p>"Sure. Do you want me to come with you when you go to pick up Ginny?"</p><p>Ron thought about it. Sure, her company on the drive to London would be a nice distraction from wanting to go straight to <em>The Sun</em> newspaper's head offices and doing something he'd most likely regret in the morning. But, if he knew Ginny as well as he thought he did, she would want to have a rant before she saw Harry, and Ron wasn't sure how talkative Ginny would be with Hermione in the car too.</p><p>"No, it's okay. Thank you, though. I need to speak to Ginny, you know—sibling stuff!"</p><p>"Okay, I'll stay here and look after the fort!"</p><p>The intercom buzzed, just as Ron was about to thank Hermione again.</p><p>"I'll get it…" Hermione pushed herself out of her seat, yawning and stretching as she crossed the living room.</p><p>Ron eyed up the leftover breakfast food, but his stomach was churning too much for him to contemplate eating it. He was worried for Ginny, despite Harry telling him that she was okay. He put it on the side with the newspapers and walked out to the hallway, just as the police got to the front door.</p><p>"Hello, I'm Ron Weasley—head of security here." Ron offered his hand out for the police to shake, trying his best to ignore the amused look on Hermione's face. Once he'd made his introductions, Ron guided them through to the kitchen, talking through what had happened last night as they moved.</p><p>It didn't take long for the police to conduct their investigations. Although they had promised Ron they would look into the incident, he didn't feel confident that they would find out who had done it. He saw them out of the house once they'd taken his and Hermione's statements.</p><p>When Ron returned to the kitchen, Hermione was already starting to tidy up.</p><p>"Please be careful, Hermione. I'm not great with blood!"</p><p>Hermione lifted her head from where she was collecting the larger pieces of glass. "Are you kidding me?" She dumped them into a bin liner. "You bill yourself as this big, beefy security guard, scared of nothing, but you can't deal with a drop of blood?! What's wrong with you?!"</p><p>"I can deal with the difficult people; I just don't like the clean up afterwards." Ron smiled, leaning against the counter warily. A loud yawn escaped his lips; just the thought of all the tidying up they needed to do made him feel exhausted.</p><p>"You know, you can go and get a nap or something if you're tired. Especially since you have to drive to London and back later." She sidled up next to him at the counter, a concerned look on her face. The temptation to put out a hand and touch her skin was almost overwhelming, but Ron put it down to how tired he felt.</p><p>"Are you sure you don't want any help?"</p><p>"No, it's fine, I promise. I wouldn't want to cut myself and end up with you fainting or something. I need you conscious if our intruder decides to come back!" She gave him a smirk then returned to sweeping up the glass, although Ron noted she was more careful now.</p><p>Ron rolled his eyes playfully. "Good to see I have my uses!" He pushed himself away from the counter. "Alright, but don't do it all, Hermione. Leave some for me!"</p><p>"Sure…" Hermione waved a hand dismissively, and he took it as his cue to leave.</p><p>Ron settled himself on the sofa instead of going up to bed. He knew if he climbed under his comfortable duvet, he would never leave it. He couldn't nap just yet; he had one last task to do. Sighing, he dug his phone back out of his pocket and dialled Sirius. His boss answered after only one ring.</p><p>"Yes, Ron. What is it?"</p><p>Sirius already sounded pissed off, but Ron reminded himself that if Sirius were already angry, what he was about to say wouldn't make him feel any worse.</p><p>"There was a break-in last night. We've checked, and it doesn't look like they stole anything. Hermione and I are fine, just a little shaken up. I've already spoken to the police, and everything's in hand."</p><p>"Okay, if you have it in hand, then why are you calling me? Surely you got Harry's text this morning?"</p><p>"Yeah, I got it. The thing is, when Hermione was working through Harry's fanmail, she found some letters that threatened him. The police don't think it's linked, but I thought you should know."</p><p>"Did you know about it?"</p><p>"Yeah, we've been going through them together."</p><p>The line was silent for a while. Ron stared at his empty hand, trying not to let the thoughts of his imminent firing take over his brain. He felt like he'd messed up again.</p><p>Finally, Sirius let out a long breath. "Okay, well, you've told me now. I'll be home in a few hours; get Hermione to call an emergency meeting for 6. We'll order take out or something. It's going to be a late night."</p><p>Sirius hung up without saying goodbye. Ron stretched out on the sofa, Sirius' words dancing through his mind. It took him a while, but, eventually, he started to drift off.</p><p>Ron was woken up a couple of hours later by the sound of laughter singing through from the kitchen. The nap hadn't helped, the faint pounding in his head he'd felt earlier had doubled in intensity, and he wanted nothing more than to sink back into the sofa. The thought of his lengthy to-do list did nothing to ease that feeling. Still, he knew if he slept for much longer, he would struggle to drop off later.</p><p>He rolled off the sofa and stretched his long limbs before wandering through to the kitchen. The sight that greeted him helped to lift his mood slightly. Hermione had tidied the room and was now standing at the stove cooking, and Ron's friend Seamus was putting the finishing touches to their new doors.</p><p>The place looked like nothing had happened.</p><p>"Seamus, I wasn't expecting you until mid-afternoon!" Ron headed straight over to the sandy-haired man and gave him a high-five.</p><p>"Aye, but your text made it seem like it was urgent, and you didn't say a time. Took some persuasion, but this fine lady eventually let me in, and she's offered to make me some lunch since I've given up a day at Wembley to sort out your little problem! I had to show her my credentials first, though." Seamus winked, then chuckled to himself as Hermione blushed. Ron could listen to Seamus' Irish lift for forever. The man was laid back but always happy to help them with issues around the house, and he was a hard worker.</p><p>"Ah dammit, I forgot the Irish Republic were over for a friendly against England. Sorry mate!"</p><p>"That's alright. What you'll pay me today will cover more than what I dished out for the tickets, so it's worth it. I charge young Ronald here premium rates, you see." Seamus talked to Hermione now, who was still blushing from the attention the Irish man was giving her. Ron felt a strange twinge of annoyance.</p><p>"Oh, I don't blame you," Hermione beamed over at him. "For all you do, you deserve to be paid well. You should get a bonus too."</p><p>"And don't I know it? I'll take your word as a reference, for sure!" Seamus chuckled.</p><p>Hermione started to serve up. "Ron, could you sort out some drinks, please?"</p><p>She didn't look at him as she asked, and Ron scowled. Seamus always had this way with women. He didn't fail to pull on their nights out. But he thought Hermione was better than that.</p><p>"I hope you made some food for me. I live here too, you know, and I'm starving!"</p><p>"You ate two bagels for breakfast! But you know I did make enough for you; you're a <em>growing lad</em> after all!" She turned her attention briefly to Ron, giving him a warm smile that was a lot different to the one she'd been giving Seamus. He couldn't help but feel a similar smile spread over his face.</p><p>"So, your door is all fixed, and I upgraded the glass to this super-tough shite. It'll take a bloody tank to smash this." Seamus packed his tools away. "I have the number for a grand gardener that should be able to take a look at your fencing out back and check that nobody can get in. He's a sound lad, though I know you'll probably run your usual scary checks on him. I'll give him the heads up." Seamus dug in his pockets and handed Ron a business card.</p><p>"Dean Thomas? Cheers, I'll give him a call!" Ron passed the card straight to Hermione, grinning as she laughed at the gesture. They both knew she'd take better care of it.</p><p>"Right, lunch is served." She pushed two plates towards the boys before taking her own and moving to the table.</p><p>They enjoyed their lunch, and Ron felt less tense now he knew Seamus had fixed the doors. They made small talk as they ate.</p><p>"So, Seamus—how do you know Ron?"</p><p>"I bumped into him at the pub, actually. The lanky git literally walked into me, and he was wearing a bleeding Chudleigh Athletic top. They're, like, the shittest team in the whole country, so I couldn't resist having a jab. The guy gave as good as he got, though, and eventually, we were mates. Reckon I've come in handy over the years."</p><p>"Yeah, your work is not too shoddy, and you haven't tried stealing anything from the house!" Ron smirked over at his friend.</p><p>"Exactly, signs of a great friendship!" Seamus returned the smirk and finished his lunch.</p><p>After lunch, Ron saw Seamus out then returned to the kitchen to find Hermione starting to tidy up.</p><p>"Seriously, you've done enough today. Get yourself a cup of tea and put your feet up for a bit, will you?" He pulled the plate she'd just picked up out of her hands and pushed her towards the kettle.</p><p>Today had been such a whirlwind of tasks that Ron hadn't noticed Hermione wasn't wearing her usual business attire. Instead, she had on a pair of jeans and a comfortable-looking sweater. Her long curls had been let out of their tight bun and allowed to hang wildly over her shoulders. Jesus, the girl had a lot of hair. Not that it didn't look nice, of course. This more casual Hermione was friendly-looking, definitely more approachable. No wonder Seamus had been trying it on with her.</p><p>Ron turned his attention back to Hermione's question.</p><p>"As long as you're sure? I don't mind!"</p><p>"No way! If you stay and keep me company, then I'm sure I'll survive the work!" Ron grinned over at her and got on with tidying up from lunch. "So I rang Sirius earlier. Told him about everything."</p><p>"Including the letters?"</p><p>"Including the letters," Ron confirmed with a slight nod.</p><p>Hermione turned pale. "What did he say?"</p><p>"He wants you to organise an emergency meeting for 6. We'll probably order food." Ron finished loading up the dishwasher and checked the time.</p><p>"Okay, but he wasn't mad?"</p><p>Ron felt an amused smile creep across his face. Hermione was seriously worried about letting down Sirius and getting in trouble.</p><p>"Hard to tell over the phone with Sirius." When she anxiously started wringing her hands, he realised it was the wrong thing to say. Ron closed the gap between them quickly, kneeling so that he was level with her. "Hey, I've been in trouble with Sirius so many times, and I'm still here. It surprises me sometimes. Sirius is tough, but he's fair. And it was me who decided to keep the letters to ourselves, okay? Don't worry about it!"</p><p>He waited until Hermione gave him a nod before smiling and pushing himself back up. "Nobody died!" He winked at Hermione.</p><p>"I have to go and get Ginny. See you later, okay? Don't stress about anything!" He threw the tea towel he had slung over his shoulder onto the side and checked he had everything. He studied Hermione, but she was already engrossed in her phone. Ron thought she was probably writing a speech to persuade Sirius to keep her employed. He considered telling her not to, but he knew she needed to work this out for herself.</p><p>"Bye, 'Mione!" Ron made one last glance, just in time to see Hermione lift a hand from her phone briefly in what he assumed was a wave. He chuckled to himself and headed out of the house, ensuring to lock the door behind him, just in case.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. From Watford to Manchester</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's finally time for the tour to start. The group travel slowly from Watford to Manchester, and Ron challenges Hermione to a game of chess.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Tuesday! I am on a roll with this fic now, and the chapters seem to be coming easily for me so you're very lucky to be getting another one so soon after I posted the last. Your comments are making me so happy, I really enjoy reading every one of them. I love, love, love this chapter and I've been desperate to share it with you all for a couple of weeks now, so I hope you enjoy it too.</p><p>Thanks as always go to be11a and Magpie for betaing, but also for Cheesyficwriter for helping me with the chess. As always, if you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know. If you didn't, please let me know - but be constructive. I hope you're all doing well and keeping safe xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Hermione slid out of Ron's car, glancing around at the tour bus company's bustling parking lot. In front of them, crew members in black t-shirts were loading large crates of kit into a trailer, and the luggage hold under the giant grey tour bus sat waiting for them. There was a low buzz of excitement around the area, and Hermione revelled in it. This was going to be her first tour, and she was determined to enjoy every moment.</p><p>"I'll take your suitcases over once I've spoken to the new security team. Go get yourself settled on the bus, claim a decent bunk!" Ron disappeared without waiting for Hermione's response, heading towards a burly-looking group of men, leaving her alone amongst all the workers.</p><p>During the emergency meeting earlier in the week, Ron had agreed that the security on tour would need to be stepped up, just in case. The dates of Harry's concerts were well publicised, and anyone could follow them around the country if they wanted. Whilst they were out of the house, a heavily-vetted company was increasing the security there. They'd all agreed that they were going to take no chances with Harry's safety.</p><p>Hermione wandered over to the tour bus, squinting as the sun bounced off the shiny exterior. It was well-looked after, although she wondered how someone cleaned a bus this big.</p><p>"She's a beauty, ain't she?" A man so tall he could easily reach the bus's mid-point appeared next to Hermione, casually leaning an arm against the vehicle. Despite his size, she hadn't heard his approach, and she jumped as he started to speak. He had long, shaggy black hair and a beard covering most of his face, but she could still see his gentle smile. "I considered givin' yeh bus eight, but number five is my baby…"</p><p>Hermione's attention was drawn fully from the bus now as she blinked up at the giant man.</p><p>"Ah, of course, I've not met yeh yet. Rubeus Hagrid, but yeh can call me Hagrid. 'M yeh driver for the next month or so. Bin drivin' 'Arry around fer the past six years." Hagrid puffed out his chest proudly. "Ne'er had an incident either."</p><p>Hagrid held a hand out for Hermione. Remembering her manners, she took it, almost grimacing as he wrapped her tiny hand in a vice-like grip and shook it so hard, she felt it up her arm. "I'm Hermione Granger."</p><p>"Yeh the secretary?"</p><p>"Personal Assistant," Hermione corrected him automatically.</p><p>"Sure, well, it's nice to meet yeh! Yeh make sure them boys don't drive yeh crazy this month. Stuck on this bus, however beautiful she is, can drive anyone a little mental. An' I know how they can be."</p><p>"I'm not sure what you're on about, Hagrid; Harry and I are angels!" Ron appeared suddenly at Hermione's side. "Have you had a chance to look inside the bus yet, Hermione? Or has Hagrid distracted you?"</p><p>"Yeh watch it, Ron Weasley. Or I'll wait until yeh have a hot drink, an' I'll take a sharp turn or summat…" Hermione watched as Hagrid wandered off, chuckling to himself before she turned back to Ron.</p><p>"Is he half-giant or something?"</p><p>"No," Ron laughed. "But he sure looks like one, right? Hagrid is a little rough around the edges, but he always means well. He treats Harry like one of his own. The guy loves buses, cars, well, anything that moves, really. He's been with us now for the whole six years. He doesn't have a family, so he's more than happy to pack up his bags and stay on the road with us, sometimes for months at a time. Have you actually been inside yet?"</p><p>"No, not yet. I was admiring how big it was when Hagrid distracted me!"</p><p>"It's like a whole bloody house. Here…" Ron leaned forward and pressed the door release. He gestured for Hermione to enter the bus first. She took the steps quickly, gasping as she finally saw the inside.</p><p>"You were right; someone could easily live here!" There were so many separate compartments and cubby holes down the long aisle, Hermione didn't know where to look first.</p><p>"Yep! We can get the whole crew in here, although some of them prefer to do their own thing and others have to drive the rest of the stuff around. Mostly, we just use this to travel between venues as it's much more comfortable than being stuck in a car for hours on end. We prefer sleeping in hotel rooms." Ron pushed Hermione gently down the bus to give her the tour. She moved with him, revelling in the soft touch of his hand on her shoulder. "It's comfortable enough, though—sixteen bunks, two separate TV areas, and a fully functioning kitchen. Harry gets a whole bedroom to himself, though, because he's the rock star."</p><p>Ron finished his tour with a roll of his eyes before leading Hermione back to the sleeping area at the top end of the bus. She leaned down to peer into one of the bunks—they were tiny and reminded Hermione of a coffin. She couldn't imagine anyone choosing to put themselves in one without fear of death or suffocation. "So these are alright to sleep in?"</p><p>"Yeah…" Ron smiled and patted the top bunk they were standing next to. "This one is usually mine. Close enough to Harry's bedroom at the top of the bus, with the bonus of being far away from Sirius and Hagrid, who enjoy a snoring competition!"</p><p>"Oh, like you don't snore!" Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, a small smile creeping over her face.</p><p>"How do you know? Been sneaking across that balcony to spy on me, have you?!" Ron challenged her back with his own smile, and Hermione couldn't stop the swooping feeling as it raced through her belly. He slung his rucksack onto the bunk, claiming it as his own. Before she could respond with her own witty reply, he carried on talking.</p><p>"We couldn't even afford hotels for Harry's first tour, so we spent every hour we weren't in a venue on one of these things, although back then we had to use a much smaller bus. I ended up sleeping surrounded by Sirius and Hagrid, with Neville, the sound guy on top. I barely got a wink, although the partying didn't help! Anyway, these bunks are like the TARDIS, a lot bigger once you're actually in there!"</p><p>"I guess I should claim one now before everyone else joins us." Hermione eyed the bunks hesitantly. Strangely, it felt like one of the most important decisions she would make on this tour. Hermione could take the bunk underneath Ron's, but it seemed there might be hidden implications with it. She didn't want any of the crew teasing her for sleeping 'under him'. But, the idea of sleeping on another bottom bunk under a different crew member didn't exactly fill Hermione with confidence either. She didn't want to get squashed. After a lengthy internal debate, during which Ron stared at her expectantly, she finally decided to take the top bunk opposite his.</p><p>"Are you okay if I take this one?" She slid her bag carefully into the cubby. She wasn't sure why she was asking him, as he looked pleased with her final decision.</p><p>"Of course, that's okay! I know how important it is for you to be able to continue to watch me sleep…" He smirked. "Just don't expect me to give you a leg up every time you want a nap! Right, I better get to work. Harry will be here soon, the driver should be picking him up any minute, and I want to make sure we leave on time. It's a long way to Manchester."</p><p>"Do you need any help?"</p><p>"Nah, I've got it under control." He gave her a huge crooked smile, and Hermione felt her stomach swoop pleasantly again. He squeezed past her to get down the aisle, and her heartbeat quickened. She watched him go with a fond smile until he disappeared down the small set of steps.</p><p>Hermione pulled her laptop, a book, and her water bottle out of her bag before closing the curtains over her bunk and slowly wandered back down the bus. She settled into one of the sitting areas close to the front. It was comfortable enough, and Hermione was glad that Ginny had persuaded her to wear loungewear instead of dressing up for the journey. Four hours travelling on a coach in a suit would have been the worst.</p><p>Hermione didn't have a lot of work to do over the month—Sirius had been adamant that they focus only on their tasks related to the tour, and most of that happened once they were at the next hotel or venue. But her to-do list for when they got home was already long, and she'd rather take advantage of all the spare time (and the wifi on the bus) to get ahead.</p><p>She was vaguely aware of the bus filling up around her as she worked, but Hermione didn't let herself get distracted until she sensed someone sliding onto the bench opposite her, joining her at the table. She lifted her head from her laptop, expecting to see Ron, but was pleasantly surprised to see the other Weasley sibling she knew join her.</p><p>The story about Ginny quitting football to join the tour had rumbled on over the past week. Chelsea Football Club's publicist had partnered with Harry's to limit the damage, but the story still attracted attention. The only truth was that Ginny was joining them for the whole tour, but as far as she was aware, she wasn't quitting the team. She just needed a break, and she and Harry had wanted to try and make a proper go of things again, so the tour seemed to be a good opportunity for that.</p><p>Of course, they didn't want the press to know this—Hermione and Ron had been given the information in confidence after Sirius' meeting on the evening the news broke. Hermione had a sneaking suspicion Ginny had already told Ron in the car journey from London to Watford. A press release had been issued to the most prominent newspapers, explaining Ginny's absence from the game was due to a long-standing injury.</p><p>Ever since Hermione had been working closely with Ginny to ensure that every city they stopped in gave the group of journalists—that would undoubtedly follow them around the country—a chance to observe the footballer going through the rehab motions. As they worked together, Ginny and Hermione's friendship had blossomed, in a similar trajectory as Hermione and Ron's (although Hermione did not feel her heartbeat quicken if she happened to be in the same vicinity as Ginny). Hermione was grateful that there'd be another girl on the bus with her, and they'd both agreed it was a good idea, especially since it was a very male-dominated crew.</p><p>"Isn't this all exciting?" The redhead kneeled up in her seat so she could watch the final boxes and cases get packed away. "I've never done a whole tour before!"</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Nope! I've always tried my best to make as many of Harry's concerts as I could, but I had to fit it in around games and training." She pulled a face at someone on the concourse. "I think this break will be a good idea."</p><p>"Yeah, it sounds like it! It's tough to say no sometimes, or decide to step back a little. But burnout is real. If I could do my degree again, I would have taken some time before my final year. I worked all summer then ploughed straight into a full lecture schedule. By the time my final exams came around, I was exhausted!"</p><p>Ginny settled back in her seat and started to unpack her bag, which was mostly full of books and sweets. She nodded towards Hermione's laptop, and the pile of paperwork beside it. "Maybe you should take some of your own advice?" She raised her eyebrows, and Hermione felt a slight flush cover her cheeks.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah. Now you sound just like your brother." Hermione grinned. "I'm just sorting a few things out, and then I promise I'll relax a little."</p><p>~*~</p><p>The journey went smoothly at first. The coach traversed the usual traffic on the M1 without hitting too many snags. Around Coventry, they found themselves at the end of a long queue of crawling traffic. According to Hagrid's booming announcement, there was a severe accident a few miles ahead of them, and they might be in for a long wait. Sirius had turned to the crew smugly, declaring that this was the whole reason they always travelled the day before a concert before returning to his newspaper.</p><p>The bus's euphoric atmosphere had soon dissolved into frustration as they sat on the concrete motorway. Looking at the same field got dull quickly enough. Hermione was still working, or at least attempting to. Across the aisle from her, Harry and Ron were having a very heated game of chess. There seemed to be a lot of cursing and whooping for a game favoured amongst intellects and quiet people. She let herself get distracted from her work as Ron let out a triumphant shout.</p><p>"Checkmate, yet again Harry!"</p><p>Harry threw his head back in a loud groan. "That's it, that's the only time I'm playing you this whole tour. You're unbearable." He stood up, and Hermione watched with a small smile as he threw a mock strop then slid into the booth next to Ginny, who immediately started fussing and comforting him. In retaliation, Ron pretended to throw up.</p><p>Once he finished his performance, he cast his eyes around their section of the bus, looking for his next opponent. His gaze settled on Hermione, and he rubbed his hands in glee.</p><p>"Come on then, Hermione. You're next!"</p><p>"I wouldn't," Harry reached across the table, grabbing her arm tightly. "He'll tear you apart."</p><p>Hermione raised her eyebrows. "How do you know I'm not a chess genius?!"</p><p>"Are you?" Harry looked surprised, but a smile crossed his face at the prospect of someone finally being able to beat Ron.</p><p>"No," She shook her head regretfully. "But I'm willing to give it a try!"</p><p>Hermione slid across and settled opposite Ron, who was eyeing her closely. He gave Hermione the impression that he was stalking his prey, and she felt another lurch in her stomach, though she tried her best to keep her face neutral. Truthfully, although she had read books about the theory of the game, Hermione had never had an opportunity to play.</p><p>Ron set out the board, placing the white pieces on Hermione's end in a move anyone else would have thought was chivalrous, but the grin on Ron's face said something different. He was plotting her demise before the game had even started. She tried her best to quell the nervousness she felt at being in such proximity to him. Their knees brushed under the table with every move of the bus, and, aside from the evil look in Ron's eyes, he was relaxed, as if being in front of the chessboard was where he felt the most comfortable.</p><p>Hermione narrowed her eyes at the board, planning her first move. Ron reclined lazily in his seat, and she tried her best to ignore a flicker of annoyance. He was expecting this game to be easy, and she knew she needed to win or at least get close to earn his respect as well as that of the crew members who were slowly starting to gather around them. The need to impress the people she worked with was more significant than anything else right now.</p><p>She remembered the theory in the book she'd read: <em>try to remember to think eight steps ahead</em>. She thought she was ready and was just about to lift her hand to select her first piece when she felt Ron's leg press against hers. The pressure of the contact made her gasp, but when she lifted her eyes to look at him, he was pretending nothing was out of the ordinary. Hermione narrowed her eyes. Maybe it was just the shifting of the bus that had caused the contact. It had been stopping and starting constantly as they snaked their way up the M6.</p><p>Eventually, she made her move—letting her fingers curl around her white knight before lifting it over a pawn to the centre of the board. Ron sat up suddenly, looking a little more alert. Whatever she had done was right, or so it seemed. After a moment, he eventually mirrored her move.</p><p>The pieces moved across the board slowly, each step cautious and well thought out. There was no conversation between the pair as they each concentrated on their own game. Hermione felt the pressure against her leg more than once, each time a little bit harder and distracting her from her gameplan. After every one, she glanced at Ron, but he was acting nonchalant. She couldn't understand how he could keep such a straight face when her skin was buzzing from their contact, even through the light cotton trousers she was wearing. Maybe she had misread his flirting earlier? Perhaps he was just being friendly?</p><p>Finally, Ron took his first victim; one of Hermione's pawns and he smirked as he removed it from the board.</p><p>"Not looking so confident now, Hermione."</p><p>She refused to answer him. Instead, she shifted one of her pieces in retaliation, removing a black pawn in return. The board was equal again. Hermione felt confident in her move, especially when Ron swapped his king with a rook, putting him in a defensive position.</p><p>Hermione risked a look away from the board. The whole crew was standing around them now, including Sirius, who watched the game with raised eyebrows. Hermione and Ron's players continued to dance through the squares. She thought she spotted him make a fatal mistake by moving his knight into a dubious position on the queen's side of the board. She bit her lip as she lifted her hand, but a slight twitch of Ron's head made her sit back, considering her move further.</p><p>"You can't think forever, at some point you're going to have to make a move."</p><p>It was a trap. If Hermione took his knight, she'd be sacrificing her queen, a risk she wasn't ready to take. She pressed forward with her own knight, knowing immediately she'd made a mistake when Ron triumphantly took it with his pawn.</p><p>Eventually, the number of pieces on the board dwindled. Ron was good at putting pressure on Hermione, and she found herself having to think twice before every move.</p><p>"I'm not going to let you win this easily, Ron."</p><p>Hermione reviewed the board, trying her best to look confident. Ron had used his bishop to corner her queen, who was in a position that would be difficult to recover from. As she prepared to make her move, she felt Ron press his leg harder against hers, but this time, he didn't remove it. Distracted, Hermione moved her own bishop to a more central position.</p><p>The game went downhill from there. Having not calculated the consequences of her moves, Hermione lost a pawn, her remaining bishop, a rook, and another two pawns in quick succession. All too soon, the game was over. Ron had won by forcing her to surrender—removing too many of her pieces for her to continue.</p><p>This time, he didn't gloat. Instead, he extended a hand across the board. "You almost had me, Hermione. I think I've met a worthy opponent!"</p><p>"I think I would have won if you hadn't cheated!" Hermione raised her eyebrows as Ron looked affronted. She took his hand anyway, shaking it with a smile on her face while she pressed her leg back against his leg as if to tell him she knew what he was up to. She didn't remove it once they had finished with the niceties.</p><p>"I never cheat. We'll play again later!" Although the tips of his ears were burning bright red, Ron's grin widened, giving him away.</p><p>Hermione couldn't shift the smile off her face as Hagrid announced the accident had cleared. The bus lurched forward at a quicker pace, and she considered returning to her work. However, the continued pressure against her leg kept her rooted to her seat. She leaned across the aisle, picking up her book as Ron packed his board away, both of them pretending nothing was going on underneath the table.</p><p>There would be plenty of time for work later.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Hatch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The entourage finally gets to Manchester and Ron finds himself at a loose end. Harry and Ginny have other plans, so Ron goes looking for company elsewhere.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so glad you're all still really enjoying this. I am getting so much joy from writing it, and I love seeing your thoughts about the story. We're at the half-way point (depending on if I add in any extra as I continue to write!) Many thanks to be11a and Magpie, as always for their awesome beta-ing on this story. Without your work, this story wouldn't be half as good as it is.</p><p>Anyway, I know I said that last week's chapter was my favourite but actually I think this one is. I might say the same next week, to be fair. I'm just enjoying this version of Ron and Hermione so so much &lt;3 As always, if you enjoyed this chapter PLEASE let me know (I promise I'm going to start getting better at replying to your reviews), and if you didn't enjoy this, please also let me know but be kind and constructive. Love you all, stay safe xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ron hated living out of a suitcase, and it didn't take long for him to spread his small amount of belongings throughout his large hotel room. Once he had finished unpacking, he flopped down on the king-sized bed and reached for the remote control, slowly clicking through the channels on the television mounted to the wall at the foot of his bed. Finally, he settled on some comedy programme about an American police force. <em>That will do,</em> he thought.</p><p>He heard his phone beep, and he rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe Hermione was still working, even after the long day they'd already had. He fished it out from under his pyjamas on the bed and opened the message without checking who the sender was.</p><p>
  <em>I saw you flirting with Hermione on the coach earlier. I know what you're up to!</em>
</p><p>It was Ginny, of course. Despite the amount of moaning that girl did about how the press was always getting involved in her life, she couldn't resist sticking her nose in his. He debated not replying. Usually, it was better just to ignore her, but he was so bored already.</p><p>
  <em>I've no idea what you're on about Gin. You and Harry fancy dinner downstairs?</em>
</p><p>As Ron waited for a reply, he thought about the coach journey from Watford to Manchester earlier. He had intentionally been flirting with Hermione, even before the game of chess had started. He just hadn't been able to resist it. Ever since they'd cleared the air and started working properly together, he had found his interest in Hermione growing. He wasn't sure how she felt yet, but he was pretty sure she had been reciprocating his attempts at flirting by the end of the game. Maybe it was just the excitement of her first tour, Ron wasn't too sure, but he was hoping to get a chance to find out.</p><p>
  <em>Not tonight, sorry, Ronniekins. We just ordered room service. Have fun. Go see Hermione!</em>
</p><p>He sighed and threw his phone back on the bed. As far as he could tell, he had two options to relieve his boredom tonight. Either he could sit in his room, alone, all evening, or he could see who else was interested in going for some food.</p><p>Ron pushed himself off the bed and straightened himself out in the mirror. He didn't look too bad considering they had been travelling all day. His t-shirt could do with an iron, and he should probably shave at some point, but it would do. He grabbed his phone and anything else he might need before leaving his room.</p><p>His first stop was to check on the various security guards stationed around the hotel, making sure they were all comfortable and had everything they needed. The day after the break-in, Hermione had changed all their hotel bookings from the high-end chains to smaller boutique hotels, meaning in some cases, they were able to fill up the whole place. Hopefully, if Harry's stalker was following them around the country, they might not be able to find him.</p><p>Once Ron was confident that the hotel was secure for the night, he headed up a floor from his and knocked on the door of room 227. He felt a sudden surge of nerves as he listened to the sounds of movement from within the bedroom, but he chided himself. It wasn't as if he and Hermione had never hung out together before. It would be fine — just a couple of friends grabbing dinner.</p><p>Finally, she cracked the door open, and Ron was pleased to see she took advantage of the security chain. You could never be too sure.</p><p>"Ron, hey! Is everything okay? Did you text or something?" He could only see a tiny sliver of her through the door, Ron noted frustratedly.</p><p>"Yeah, everything's fine. I didn't text, though." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I'm just… I wondered… Do you want to go and grab some dinner?"</p><p>Hermione studied him briefly, then smiled and shut the door without responding. Ron blinked confusedly, but then he heard her release the security chain and reopen the door. Now he was able to get a good look at her; he noted she looked a bit dishevelled, and her curls had been pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head. However, a lot of her hair had already escaped its constraints.</p><p>"Dinner sounds brilliant. Come in for a second; I'll just make myself presentable."</p><p>Ron followed her into the room. "I think you look great!" He immediately felt his cheeks flush when Hermione turned around quickly to grin at him.</p><p>"Thanks, but I don't think the hotel would be impressed if I showed up in my pyjamas!" She rummaged in her suitcase, and Ron took the opportunity to survey the room. It was untidy, just like his, but Hermione's mess seemed to be more organised as if every pile had its place and reason.</p><p>"I'll just go and get changed!" She held up her jeans as evidence then hurried to the bathroom. With a small buzz of pleasure, Ron noticed that she didn't shut the door behind her, inviting him to continue their conversation.</p><p>"Did I interrupt you when I knocked on the door?" He continued his exploration of her room, even though it was almost identical to his. The boutique hotel was tastefully decorated, with views across the city.</p><p>"I was napping, actually." Ron could hear the rustle of clothing, and his cheeks burned as he thought about how she would look, half-naked under the bright bathroom lights. He already knew she was slim, that was obvious, but he found himself wondering whether she had freckles or moles or if she had those small dimples in the small of her back he so loved to see on women.</p><p>"Napping? That's not like you!"</p><p>"I nap occasionally!" Hermione laughed. "All that sitting around on the coach was exhausting, as well as helping with the unload at the venue."</p><p>"I told you you didn't have to muck in. The crew are more than capable, and you'll need all your energy for all the running around you'll be doing tomorrow!"</p><p>"I'll be fine," Hermione returned to the bedroom and raised an eyebrow as she spotted Ron on the other side of her room. "I hope you're not snooping?"</p><p>"No!" Ron scoffed incredulously. "I was just checking if the view was any different to mine!"</p><p>"Well, is it?"</p><p>"Nah!" He shrugged. "Same old city, it doesn't change much no matter where you are!"</p><p>"You're really selling it!" Hermione replied dryly. "I've never been to Manchester; I was looking forward to exploring somewhere new."</p><p>"Oh, well, how about instead of going to the hotel restaurant, I show you the sights?"</p><p>Hermione's eyes lit up, and Ron felt another buzz of pleasure. "Really?"</p><p>"Yeah, there's a great food place just down the road. It's all street food, so we won't have to argue about where to eat, and it's only five minutes away."</p><p>"Perfect!" She tidied her ponytail and threw a jumper on before picking up her bag. "Come on then, let's go!"</p><p>Ron dropped a quick text to Harry and Sirius to let them know he was leaving the hotel but not going far, adding that Hermione was with him. As they made their way down to the lobby, he checked in again with the security dotted around the hotel, making sure they all had his contact details, just in case.</p><p>He breathed a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding as they stepped out into the cool, spring air, and he steered them the right way. It was nice to have time to explore the city without worrying about Harry or work. After the novelty of being backstage at the concerts wore off, this was Ron's second favourite part of being on tour, aside from the partying.</p><p>Ron pointed out various locations as they walked. Manchester was a firm favourite of Harry's. They'd had many adventures here, especially in the earlier days of his career, when fewer people knew who he was. Eventually, they meandered their way down to the street food place.</p><p>They got to <em>Hatch </em>just as the sun disappeared behind the city skyline. The area was built up from shipping containers and nestled under the A57. Fairy lights were strung from tree to container and back again, and wooden seating areas filled the space. An indie band was playing on a small stage in the corner. Apart from the music, the venue was reasonably quiet.</p><p>Ron and Hermione made their way around the various vendors, discussing their likes and dislikes of the foods on offer as they made their way around the place. At some point, they found themselves with an alcoholic drink in their hands. It felt comfortable as if they'd been doing this their whole lives.</p><p>With food bought and their drinks topped up, they eventually settled on a wooden picnic table under a grand oak tree. Ron took his seat opposite Hermione, stealing a nacho whilst she was otherwise distracted.</p><p>"Oy!" She turned her head quickly back to her food, throwing him a disgruntled look. "I told you we could get the sharing platter if you wanted nachos too!"</p><p>"I don't want them," Ron grinned as he chewed. "I was just making sure yours were okay!"</p><p>Hermione's eyes narrowed, and her hand shot across the table towards his chips. He swotted her away before she could pinch one. "We could have got a sharing platter if you wanted chips!" He mimicked her, although not in a mean tone.</p><p>She sat back, a smile on her face as she started to eat. They talked about everything — Hermione's expectations of the tour, their theories on who Harry's stalker might be, their episode with Rita Skeeter last week. Their conversation eventually fizzled out as their plates were emptied.</p><p>Ron cast her eyes back over to the vendors, trying to remember where he spotted the best dessert.</p><p>"You can't be considering pudding. How are you still hungry?" Hermione laughed as she finished her glass of wine.</p><p>"I told you before, I'm a growing lad. Anyway, my mum says you have a second stomach for sweet stuff!"</p><p>"I don't think that's right," Hermione raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"Well, it is. And Mum makes the best desserts, so she would know!"</p><p>"Okay, fine! I'll believe you. So are you going to get some?"</p><p>"Nah, not yet. I'm pretty full!" He smirked as he turned back to Hermione. The fairy lights were mirrored in her chocolate brown eyes, and Ron couldn't help but feel this would have been a perfect first date. Not that they were dating, of course. They were colleagues. She was probably one of those '<em>strictly against sleeping with her workmates'</em> types. Ron, on the other hand, had no such rules. It was just that his workmates had been Harry, Sirius and Neville, the sound guy up until now.</p><p>Before he knew what was happening, he felt his leg press back against hers. It was like there was a gravitational pull towards Hermione, and he just couldn't stop it. Her cheeks flushed a delightful pink as she pressed back against him, sending a flurry of nerves through his belly.</p><p>"So, now we've determined your mum is the dessert queen; what else is there to know about your family?" Hermione was leaning towards him, and he'd never seen anyone act so interested in him that he was quite taken by it.</p><p>"Nothing much, really. We're pretty much your average family!"</p><p>"Average?! Aren't there like seven of you?"</p><p>"Yeah, well, six now. We lost Fred a couple of years ago…"</p><p>He could see Hermione flinch as the realisation she might have put her foot in it washed over her. Her face softened, and Ron felt a shudder journey through his body. He hated people feeling sorry for him.</p><p>Hermione reached across the table and placed her hand on his arm, giving it a soft squeeze. Her touch was gentle, and her fingers were warm despite the slight breeze in the air. It immediately put Ron at ease. "What happened?"</p><p>"Nothing. He and George were running a shop together, and everything was going really well. And then he just dropped dead one day. Turns out he had a bit of a dicky heart…" Ron shrugged. "Runs in the family. One of my mum's brothers died of the same thing. Mum beat herself up about it for a while, but we're all okay. We got tested, and none of the rest of us is at risk." He gave Hermione a weak smile, but when he drew breath, it was shaky. She tightened her grip on his arm, and tentatively, he rested his spare hand over it. "Last year, we went and got matching tattoos to remember him by."</p><p>Ron lifted his hand from hers, rolling the sleeve of his t-shirt up to reveal the giant red and yellow 'W' high up on his arm. The tattoo looked magical, with the splashes of colour behind it.</p><p>"How have I not seen this before on you or your sister?" Hermione's hand moved up his arm to briefly touch the tattoo, and Ron felt another surge of attraction. She was so gentle with him.</p><p>"I've not exactly been getting my arms out. It's spring; it's still bloody cold sometimes. And Ginny's is on her hip, so unless you've been getting friendlier than you're letting on?" Ron smirked and pulled gently away from her touch, knowing that if she carried on, he'd probably do something he'd later regret.</p><p>He collected up their plastic cups. "You want another glass of wine?" Without waiting for Hermione's response, he got up from the table and wandered to the bar. He could feel her eyes burning into the back of his head as he moved, and he wondered if he'd let too much slip or if touching her hand had been a step too far.</p><p>He returned to the table, and Hermione was busy scrolling through her phone. She looked up as he placed her drink in front of her.</p><p>"Spending time with me can't be so bad that you'd rather work?" He took a long swig from his pint as he sat back down.</p><p>"Oh, not at all!" She put her phone screen down on the table. "Sorry. A few days ago, I had the idea to join some of Harry's fan clubs on social media. You know, just to see what they're talking about and whether anyone has realised where we're staying. I set up a fake Facebook profile and everything." She looked proud of herself. "I was just checking to see if there were any updates. They have this thing called Potterwatch." She wrinkled her nose up.</p><p>"Potterwatch? That's weird." Ron pulled a face. "You're an evil genius. Have the fans found us yet?"</p><p>"No," Hermione laughed. "I try not to spend too long in there. Otherwise, they might convert me to a super fan. Some of them really love Harry, and a lot of the women on there are old enough to be his mother!"</p><p>"Gross," he took another sip of his beer. "Well, just don't be spilling any of our secrets — "</p><p>"I wouldn't!" Hermione's eyes were wide until she realised he was teasing her. She frowned at him, and Ron wondered if he'd blown it. Suddenly, she pushed her leg against his — this time tangling them at the ankle in a move that felt even more intimate than before. Ron grinned, feeling momentarily distracted from his teasing at the sensation. He was glad she couldn't see or hear how fast his heart was beating. It would definitely give his feelings away.</p><p>This was fast turning into a 'thing', but he was excited about it.</p><p>"So, what about your family?" Ron's question wasn't just about changing the subject; he was genuinely interested in finding out more about her.</p><p>"It was just me, Mum and Dad when I was little. As soon as I turned eleven, they shipped me off to Cheltenham's Girls college, then emigrated to Australia."</p><p>"Wow, that's harsh!" Ron frowned. He couldn't imagine his parents being that far away from him all the time. "So the months away from home won't really bother you?"</p><p>"If Sirius extends my contract," Hermione played with the lip of her cup. "I used to spend summers in Australia, which meant I missed the nice weather on both continents. But we're not really that close anymore. Don't get me wrong, I love them and miss them so much but, I've kind of always been alone."</p><p>"Must be a shock then, suddenly having me, Harry and Sirius always around?"</p><p>"It was at first, but I kind of like it now. There's always someone to hang out with."</p><p>"Soon to be more, if Ginny and Harry decide to get shacked up. We might get forced out of the house!" Ron pulled a face.</p><p>"It's good, though. Harry, of all people, deserves some happiness!"</p><p>"Of course he does; I just wish it wasn't with my little sister. I don't want her at risk, especially with everything going on at the moment!"</p><p>"Yeah, but with Ron, the superstar bodyguard around, is Harry even in danger?!"</p><p>It was her turn to tease him now, but he rose happily to the occasion. He puffed up his chest in mock pride. "Only if his highly organised PA continues to keep everyone on their toes by changing things around so quickly!"</p><p>"Oy!" Hermione laughed. "You can't say your life isn't easier now?"</p><p>"Well, yeah, now you've chilled out a little it is. But before, sheesh!" Before he knew what was happening, Hermione had whacked him hard on the arm. "Hey! That's abuse!"</p><p>"It was nothing, and if you were as good as you say you are, you would have seen that coming," she stared at him with a menacing look in her eyes, although the corners of her mouth were twitching.</p><p>"So now your true colours are coming out. I saw the way you dealt with Rita Skeeter. I'm keeping my eye on you, Hermione Granger!"</p><p>She didn't reply, but the flush on her face showed how delighted she was. Ron finished his pint, his smile mirroring hers. He took a glance at his watch, it was already late, but he wasn't ready to say goodnight to Hermione just yet. Which was ridiculous since he'd be spending the whole day with her tomorrow and the next, for however long they were on tour.</p><p>She checked her watch too and let out a small sigh. "I suppose we better get back?"</p><p>"Yep! I need my beauty sleep; we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow!" He collected up their rubbish and put it in the bin as he waited for Hermione to join him.</p><p>As they walked back through the city, Ron felt that same gravitational pull towards Hermione, although he knew it wasn't safe to try and tangle his legs with hers. They fell quickly into step together, although he noted they were walking a lot closer together. Occasionally, they would bump shoulders or hips, eliciting a laugh between the two of them.</p><p>They got to the hotel, and Ron was pleasantly surprised to see no waiting paparazzi. As he checked with the security watching the ground floor and lobby, he learned nothing exciting had happened since they had left. He and Hermione stepped into the lift, and Ron pressed the buttons for their respective floors. The air in the elevator was pregnant with expectation as if one of them were waiting for the other to make the next move. It was like they were back in front of their chessboard, both of them thinking eight steps ahead to anticipate what might be coming next.</p><p>Ron took a deep breath and moved closer to her. She didn't step away, so he took that as a good sign. Slowly, he stretched out his fingers to graze against hers. Her hand twitched as if surprised at the contact, but she soon settled it back to where it had been hanging by her side. She wriggled her fingers as if permitting Ron to hold her hand. He checked her face. Despite the fact she was looking straight ahead, she was smiling, and her breathing was laboured. The anticipation almost got too much for him. His heart was pounding, and his palms were so sweaty. Self-consciously, he wiped his hand on his leg before mustering all of his courage and reaching again for her hand.</p><p>Suddenly, the elevator doors pinged open, and they were greeted by an enthusiastic looking Harry. His hair was more dishevelled than usual. He was wearing joggers with an oversized jumper in a misguided attempt to go incognito. He looked from Ron to Hermione then back at Ron again, a smug smile appearing on his face.</p><p>"I just knocked on your door to see if you were back. I was going to try Hermione next, but it seems you were both hiding here!" Harry stuck his hand in the elevator to make sure the door didn't shut. "Ginny's looking for you, Hermione. Something about wanting to see what you were wearing tomorrow to make sure you didn't clash, but I'm pretty sure she's just looking for an opportunity to gossip."</p><p>"Oh, okay. I'll head up now and hopefully catch her." Ron could tell Hermione was forcing a smile on her face, and he hoped she felt as disappointed as he did that they were interrupted.</p><p>Harry was looking at Ron expectantly now. Ron let out a heavy breath and started to move out of the lift. "Well, uhm, good night Hermione." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.</p><p>"G'night, Ron!"</p><p>The lift doors shut, just as Hermione gave him a small wave. He felt another lurch of disappointment as she disappeared from view. Ron cursed his luck. Trust Harry to interrupt him, just as he was about to make a move. He followed Harry down the corridor moodily, his mind full of everything that might have happened if they only had a minute longer.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Hermione's First Concert</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's finally time for the first concert of the tour. Things go off without a hitch, but trouble looms during the after-party.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Tuesday everyone! I am having a week of it, already (and it's only 11:15 am here!!) BUT Tuesday means another chapter of Lego House, and things are escalating very quickly between our two favourite work colleagues.</p><p>Thank you for all your lovely comments. Real-life (mostly the work I actually get paid for) is gross atm so seeing your comments about this story really makes my day. Thanks, as always, goes to Magpie and Be11a for being the best betas ever!  </p><p>I think you're all going to love this chapter. If you do, please let me know and if you don't, also let me know but be kind and constructive! Hope you're all staying safe xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Team meeting in the green room, 5 minutes, please." Sirius' voice appeared in Hermione's ear, startling her out of a daydream. After a busy day running around and ensuring everything at the venue was ready for the concert, she had sought refuge in an empty meeting room. There was a large window overlooking the city, and as she watched the thousands of fans queuing to get in, the tension left her shoulders and her headache faded.</p><p>A flutter of nerves danced across her belly, and she took a deep breath to still them. Luckily, she wasn't the one performing in front of all these people tonight, but she still felt like she was on show. Sirius had made it clear that her performance over the next few weeks would be a deciding factor in whether her contract got extended, so she didn't want to mess it up.</p><p>Hermione's fingers found her walkie talkie without even looking, and she pressed the button that would allow her to speak. "Yes, boss. Be there soon." She stole one last look at the crowds, letting out a long breath before leaving the room, turning off the lights as she moved.</p><p>As she stepped back out into the corridor, Hermione switched her brain back to business mode. She walked briskly, her boot heels clicking a steady rhythm across the cement floors as she tried to remember the path back to the green room through the labyrinth of passageways in the arena. Corridors stemmed from corridors, and Hermione could see how easy it would be to get lost. She picked up her pace, not wanting to be late.</p><p>Hermione chose the last left turn that she hoped would take her back to where she needed to be, recognising the posters. As she neared the room, she spotted a figure lounging against the wall. He'd positioned himself just out of sight of the nearest security guard. Frowning, she slowed her pace.</p><p>"Can I help you, sir?" Hermione took a step cautiously towards him, grateful for the Access All Areas pass and walkie talkie, making her look more authoritative, especially given the jeans and nice top Ginny had dressed her in earlier. Without them, she could easily blend in among the crowds of fans. Absentmindedly, her hand drifted to where her walkie sat on her belt, although she tried her best to keep her face neutral, despite the quickening of her pulse.</p><p>As she drew closer, she could see that the figure was tall, even more so than Ron. He was dressed all in black and had a cap pulled down over his pale forehead. Under the hat was the blackest hair she'd ever seen. The man looked handsome but in a mysterious kind of way. His leather jacket shifted as he pushed himself off the wall, and Hermione relaxed as she spotted Harry's face on the man's t-shirt. He was just a fan, after all.</p><p>"I'm a bit lost, actually. I took a wrong turn. I'm here with my family, but I was trying to find the toilets."</p><p>Hermione smiled and removed her hand from her walkie talkie, her heart rate slowing down. "It's easily done, especially if you're not used to places like this. I can't guarantee I'll be helpful, though, as I only know how to get from one place to another. I haven't really had a chance to explore." She let out a laugh and was comforted when the man joined in. "I think if you take a right and then head down the next set of stairs, you should get back to the main concourse. But please don't try and find me if I'm wrong. I'm new here!"</p><p>The man offered his hand, and Hermione hesitantly shook it. "Thank you so much, Miss?"</p><p>"Oh, it's Hermione, and it's not a problem at all. I hope you enjoy the show!"</p><p>Without a second thought, Hermione moved past him in the corridor, not even feeling his eyes on her as she walked away. She made a mental note to tell Ron about her meeting, although it didn't seem like he was a risk. Still, given everything else that was going on at the moment, it wouldn't do to find more fans up near the green room.</p><p>She flashed her pass to the security guard waiting at the door and started to push it open before having a second thought. "Just to let you know, I just came across a fan wandering around here. I'll get Ron to send someone up, just in case…" She smiled at the guard as he nodded and hurried into the room.</p><p>The team was standing around, and Hermione noted that some of them looked quite impatient.</p><p>"I'm so sorry I got lost!" Her smile dissolved into a guilty look as she slid into the group opposite Ron.</p><p>"Well, now you're here, we can start." Sirius raised his eyebrows then started the meeting. As he was talking, Hermione allowed herself to take a good look at Ron, feeling a pleasant buzz as she noticed him doing the same to her. Their eyes met across the group, forcing the smile back onto her face. It was the first time she'd been in the same room as him since last night due to all of the running around and massive to-do lists they both had.</p><p>She was glad to see that the sight of him still turned her inside out. He looked so good, dressed in a smarter pair of jeans than usual and a button-down shirt. If she were in a movie, she might have even swooned. She let her concentration slip for a moment as she thought back on what might have happened last night if Harry hadn't interrupted them. But she pushed the annoyance aside and tried to concentrate on the meeting. This was work time, after all.</p><p>Sirius' speech was more of a pep talk. Once he had finished, Ron took the opportunity to run through a couple of last-minute security things, reminding Hermione of the man in the corridor. Finally, Harry stepped forward.</p><p>"I just wanted to say a huge thanks to all of you. As per usual, you have pulled things out of the bag. And not just today, but in the last few weeks. I don't know about you, but it feels like we're a bit of a family now, unfortunately." He paused as the group laughed. "And working together is getting to be quite enjoyable."</p><p>"Yeah, it's alright for you, though. You just sit and look pretty while the rest of us do the hard work," Ron interjected, causing another ripple of laughter among the group.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, okay. Well, to thank you all for working so hard, Sirius has booked the club across the road — don't worry, he had Hermione's help, so it'll be okay — for an after-party. And we've put some money behind the bar since we don't have to leave until midday tomorrow. So enjoy, and I'll see you all later!"</p><p>They wrapped up the meeting by placing their hands in the middle of the circle. Hermione tried her best to engineer it so that her fingers could touch Ron's. She was desperate to see if the electricity she felt whenever she touched him last night was still there, but instead, she found her petite hand being dwarfed by the countless giant hands of the engineering crew. She laughed and joined in the cheer before watching the group disperse.</p><p>Suddenly, she felt a warm presence at her side, and she turned her head to see Ron staring down at her, a smile on his face.</p><p>"Hey, you." Despite his smile, he looked a little nervous, and Hermione took a small sense of satisfaction from it. "Been a busy day — I haven't seen much of you around!"</p><p>She let out a mock sigh. "I know, it's been so exhausting trying to avoid you!" She felt proud that she could still joke with him, even though the memories of last night were threatening to turn her into a blithering idiot.</p><p>"Yeah, same! I had to hide under the stage in the end!" He nudged her with his shoulder. "Are you going to come and watch the concert? I'll be escorting Harry down soon and staying with him whilst he performs!"</p><p>"Oh, I wasn't sure what I should do…" Hermione trailed off with a frown as she realised she didn't know what was expected of her now. "I guess I was just going to hang out here just in case anyone needed me."</p><p>"Well, why don't you grab a pair of earplugs and come with me?"</p><p>Hermione's stomach flipped at the exciting thought of watching the concert with Ron.</p><p>"Go on, Hermione." Sirius gave her a reassuring smile. "Leave your walkie here and go and have some fun. I know where to find you if I need you, and I can always get you on your phone."</p><p>Hearing her boss give her explicit permission to enjoy herself was enough to make her finally relax. She didn't always have to be on the job, and Sirius had been adamant she enjoyed this experience, especially given how intense the job could get. She untangled herself from her walkie talkie and left it on the side with the rest of her things before helping herself to a new set of earplugs from the waiting box. She slipped the packet into her pocket before following Ron, Harry and Ginny out of the room.</p><p>Ron guided them through the endless corridors with a lot more ease than her. They walked quietly for a few moments before Hermione remembered what she needed to tell Ron.</p><p>"When I was on my way to the meeting, I came across a fan in the corridor outside the green room. Well, either a fan or a parent of a fan. I'm pretty sure it's nothing to worry about, though."</p><p>"Oh. Did the guy say or do anything to give you concern?" Ron stopped walking, and Harry almost collided with him.</p><p>"No," she gave them both a reassuring smile. "He just asked for directions, and I think I pointed him the right way, but who knows. I got lost more than once today."</p><p>Ron laughed and carried on walking. "Well, I'm pretty sure it's nothing to worry about, but I'll tell the team. Thanks, Hermione."</p><p>They soon found themselves at the back of the giant stage. When she'd first seen it that morning, she couldn't believe that the crews took it apart after every concert, transported it halfway across the country only to put it back up again.</p><p>Harry left to get himself ready, Ginny trailing after him, just as the support act finished their set. Suddenly the area around them was a flurry of activity. Instruments were swapped, and backdrops were replaced. Hermione watched in awe at the efficiency everyone worked with. It was a well-oiled machine. Sirius had said that most of the crew had worked together for years now — that would certainly explain it.</p><p>Hermione thought she might use the opportunity of finally being alone with Ron to speak to him about what had happened last night — or crucially, what didn't happen — but all of a sudden, Harry and Ginny were back with them. Apparently, it didn't take him long to get set up. Harry was biting his fingernails and shifting from left foot to right quickly, all whilst tightly hanging on to Ginny's hand.</p><p>"Are you okay? You're looking pale!" Hermione turned towards Harry with a frown.</p><p>"Yep! I'm ready to go, and I can't wait to get started now!" His voice was full of energy, a complete contrast to his face.</p><p>"He always gets like this on his first night. He used to puke when we first started touring," Ron smirked and patted his best friend firmly on the shoulder.</p><p>Harry poked his tongue out at Ron. "You're not letting Hermione watch the show from here, are you? 'Cos she won't see a thing!"</p><p>"No, I'll take her up now; I just wanted to say good luck first!"</p><p>Hermione waited for Harry and Ron to embrace, then offered Harry a hug too, smiling as he moved quickly into her arms. What Harry said earlier was right; they did feel like a family now. She let go of him and wished him final good luck before heading up the steps to the side of the stage. They were hidden by the wings, but it gave them a great view of the stage as well as the waiting crowds out in the arena.</p><p>The venue was packed. Luckily, the house lights were up as the last few people took their seats so Hermione could see the entire room. The buzz of anticipation was electrifying.</p><p>"Pretty cool, huh?" Hermione wished she could say she'd forgotten about Ron being with her, but he was always in the front of her mind. She felt his warm breath on her neck, sending a wave of pleasure down her spine. She was painfully aware of the heat coming from his body as he settled behind her. If she took only one step back, her body would be flush with his. She considered making the move briefly, but Ginny was standing right next to them, and she didn't want her jumping to conclusions. Hermione kept the thought of what she could be doing to herself, letting a smile creep over her face as she concentrated on not letting Ron distract her.</p><p>"It's pretty cool." Her heart was pounding a furious tattoo against her ribcage.</p><p>Suddenly, the lights went out, and the crowd erupted in a massive cheer. The startup music played, and rows among rows of lights filled the arena as everyone got their phones out to film. It made it look like someone had filled the hall with thousands of stars, and it took Hermione's breath away. Harry was soon beside them, and they gave him their last good luck before he stepped onto the stage, and the crowd went wild.</p><p>Hermione had never been to a pop concert before, but this was easily one of the best things she'd experienced so far. Suddenly, she'd forgotten about how tired she was, or the worries about the stalker, or how her and Ron's friendship was progressing scarily quickly as she let the electricity from the crowd and the performance wash over her. She couldn't believe how good a musician Harry was, and he sounded even better live.</p><p>Ginny forced Hermione to dance during the more upbeat songs, but when the music slowed down, she really felt the impact of Harry's lyrics, and the mood on their small spot of the stage changed.</p><p>As Harry crooned the last two choruses of a love song he told the crowds he had written for Ginny, Hermione couldn't help but let her thoughts drift back to Ron and whatever they had experienced last night. Truthfully, she hadn't stopped thinking about it. It would have been a perfect date, had he asked her out on one. They were so comfortable around each other — like they'd gotten on with each other all their lives. And the moment in the lift had taken her breath away — she could feel the electricity between them, even before he'd made a move to touch her hand. Once Ginny had left, Hermione had spent the rest of her night switching between annoyance with Harry for interrupting them and imagining what kissing Ron would have felt like. In her head, that's what they had been barrelling towards.</p><p>She was relieved in a way. She thought she'd been making it up — all the flirting on the bus, playing footsie with Ron under the table, but she was almost certain something was going on between the two of them. Hopefully, she'd get a chance to speak to him at the bar later.</p><p>Harry's two-hour set seemed to only last five minutes, even with the two encores he played. He finally left the stage to rapturous applause and cheering. They moved as a group back to the green room, and Hermione once again felt Ron's large hand at the small of her back as they worked their way through the crews and waiting staff.</p><p>The energy was electric as Harry entered the room to further applause. Sirius said a few more words, congratulating everyone on a good job and giving them the address for the afterparty. Soon enough, they were all being bundled into cars and making their way back across Manchester, avoiding the crowds of people walking through the city back to their hotels.</p><p>Ron dropped Harry and Ginny at the bar, even though it was just across the road from the hotel. Hermione decided to stay with him as he parked.</p><p>"This bar is awesome," Ron was excited. "There's a roof-top terrace, a normal bar area, but the private club is Day of the Dead themed." He locked the car and shoved his keys in his pocket before leading her back across the road, his hand in its usual spot on the small of her back. "Luckily, Sirius booked out the private area. I wouldn't fancy being up on the roof tonight; it's cold!"</p><p>Hermione agreed and let him hold the door open for her. The venue security nodded at Ron, and it was apparent they already knew him pretty well. No wonder he was happy to drop Harry off here unsupervised. They headed down the stairs and into the private area. Quickly, they joined Harry and Ginny, who were already ordering drinks.</p><p>They clinked their glasses together, then Ron turned towards Hermione, leaning casually up against the bar.</p><p>"So what did you think of the concert tonight?" He shouted over the music.</p><p>"It was brilliant. Honestly, I've never been to something like that before."</p><p>"Never?" Ron looked surprised. "Not even to a Spice Girls concert when you were young?" He threw his head back and laughed when Hermione shook her head. "If I ever get to meet your parents, I'm going to have a stern word with them!"</p><p>The thought excited her — she could imagine visiting Australia on a future tour, meeting her parents for lunch, and introducing him to them. They would love him; she just knew it.</p><p>Their conversation progressed comfortably within the group as the rest of the crew joined them, and the bar started to get busy. Hermione hadn't realised just how many people were with them on tour, but Ron mentioned that sometimes they let the arena staff join them as a thank you for their hard work too. It kept relationships healthy and meant they were always invited back to perform again.</p><p>She allowed herself two glasses of wine, noticing that Ron was sticking to soft drinks. She wondered if he ever gave himself a chance to relax properly. He caught her watching him, their eyes meeting in the small space they were occupying, and the lop-sided grin reappeared.</p><p>The conversation was soon rudely interrupted as one of Harry's songs came over the sound system.</p><p>"Who the hell put this on?!" Harry rolled his eyes, but he took it good-naturedly as the bar sang along, Hermione joining in although she was incredibly out of tune.</p><p>"Oy, Potter!" A voice heckled as a man invaded their group.</p><p>"Alright, Dave, leave him alone." The voice's friend attempted to stop the man, but he ignored it.</p><p>"I know this isn't the done thing, and you don't like being bothered, but I saw you coming through the bar earlier. Can I get a picture or something?"</p><p>Hermione sensed the change in Ron straight away. He shifted closer to Harry, arms tensed and jaw clenched. "How did you get in here? This is a private party, buddy, and I think you should leave." Ron pushed the man gently away from the group. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione watched Sirius leave them to get the venue security.</p><p>The man shrugged. "I just got in. I'm a regular here, not just some stupid celebrity who thinks he owns the place. They know who I am." The man persisted with Harry. "So how about it, can I get a photo? Only my ex fucking loves you. I don't. But I need to send her a picture so I can wipe that constant grin off her smug fucking face. I want to show her how you're just an overrated little twerp!"</p><p>The punch took the man by surprise. Ron had launched himself towards him and had hit him at full force, squarely on his jaw. 'Dave' stepped back, looking dazed. It took a moment for him to realise what had happened to him, and by the time he decided to retaliate, the security guards had a hold of his arms and were hauling him out of the room.</p><p>"Shit!" Ron shook his hand, a pained expression on his face. Hermione's heart was pounding — what the hell had just happened?</p><p>Sirius had made his way back over to them. He didn't look disappointed by Ron's reaction, but the look in his eyes told them that the party was over, at least for their small group.</p><p>"Come on, mate," Harry clamped his hand on Ron's shoulder. "I think we're done here anyway. I'm tired, and you need to see me back to the hotel. Although, I'm not sure how useful you'll be if you've busted your hand."</p><p>"'M'alright." Ron protested, but he let Harry move him towards the doors anyway.</p><p>Hermione didn't even check if Sirius needed her to stay; she gathered her things and looped her arm with Ginny's before following them out into the fresh air. Her only concern was if Ron was okay.</p><p>Back at the hotel, Ron was still adamant that they saw Harry and Ginny back to their room. He made sure that they were locked in safely before turning to Hermione sheepishly.</p><p>"How are you feeling?" She threw him a concerned look.</p><p>"It hurts a little."</p><p>She nodded and took his hand gingerly, examining it under the corridor lights. "I think it needs icing. Come on; I have a first aid kit in my room."</p><p>"Of course you do," Ron answered her wryly but gestured for her to lead the way. Hermione tried to ignore the pounding in her heart as she led Ron down the corridor to her room. These were the steps she had been hoping they would take last night. Only now there'd be no chance of stealing a kiss from Ron or anything more. She felt so annoyed she could scream, but she settled on listing the ways she would punish that 'Dave' if she ever got her hands on him. All of their build-up; the flirting and <em>tension </em>over the last two days had been destroyed in one punch.</p><p>She let Ron into her room and instructed him to sit down on the bed.</p><p>"Stay there. I'll just go get some ice." She didn't wait for him to respond. She grabbed the ice bucket from the side then ventured into the hallway, leaving the door on the latch. Soon, she was back with ice and spare towels. She dumped her bag and settled next to him.</p><p>"It's probably good you weren't drinking tonight. I'd hate to think how you'd feel with a hangover <em>and</em> a sore hand." She filled the towel with ice and then pressed it carefully to his sore knuckles. She could already see the first signs of bruises blooming under his skin, but she didn't think he'd broken them. He was lucky, really. She cradled Ron's hand, letting her spare fingers absentmindedly dance over his skin in a move she hoped comforted him.</p><p>"I don't drink when I'm officially on the job." He closed his eyes as he let Hermione look after him.</p><p>"Well, that's good. I think you'll be okay, though. At least, you won't need an x-ray. It's lucky you didn't cut your knuckles when you hit him. You wouldn't have looked so macho when you fainted!"</p><p>"I didn't say I fainted when I saw blood; I just don't like it." He opened his eyes, giving her a faint smile that set her pulse racing once more.</p><p>It didn't take Hermione long to sort Ron out, and she reluctantly let go of him once she was sure he would be okay for the night. She left him sitting on the edge of the bed as she stood up and dug in her suitcase for the small first aid kit. Eventually, she located her paracetamol and offered them to Ron. He protested at first, but Hermione persevered.</p><p>"Go on; you'll need these in the morning!" She suppressed a yawn, and Ron smiled.</p><p>"I guess I should let you get to sleep. Thank you for looking out for me." He used his good hand to push himself up off the bed and followed Hermione to the bedroom door. He crossed the threshold then paused, turning back to look at her.</p><p>"I know that seeing me fighting has probably put you off me for life, but I thought that maybe, once we got to Cardiff tomorrow, you might want to go for dinner with me again like we did last night?" He was staring at his feet, and the tips of his ears had turned pink.</p><p>Hermione gulped back the bundle of nerves that had built up in her throat, her heart once again starting to thump so hard, she could hear it in her ears. "Yeah, I'd like that. I really enjoyed last night."</p><p>He lifted his eyes to hers and smiled. "Yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah," she nodded. She didn't know why she had suddenly gone so simple-minded, but she struggled to form sentences of more than one syllable whilst he was watching her.</p><p>He let out a hard puff of air but leaned towards her more. "Shame Harry interrupted us."</p><p>Hermione nodded, keeping eye contact with him. "I think so too."</p><p>Ron was staring at her with such intensity; she felt as if he was trying to read her mind. She blushed bright red; if he knew what she was thinking, he probably wouldn't want to leave her room. His beautiful blue eyes drifted down to her lips, and she licked them subconsciously.</p><p>The moment just before their lips touched seemed to take a lifetime. For once, Hermione heard no seeds of doubt, nor any voice chastising her for doing something that broke the 'rules' that she made for herself. She only had one purpose, and that was to kiss Ron Weasley.</p><p>Every time over the last couple of days, when Hermione imagined kissing Ron, she thought of passion, of a wild desire for him. But this was a thousand times better. He kissed her once, tentatively, then broke away only to smile at Hermione before kissing her again. His uninjured hand tangled into her curls, and she rested her hand gently on his hip. It was unobtrusive, slow and tender. It set the hairs on Hermione's arms on end and did nothing to stop the pounding of her heart.</p><p>Eventually, he pulled away for real, giving her that same crooked smile through flushed cheeks. His lips were swollen, and Hermione felt a shot of pleasure as she realised she'd done that to him.</p><p>"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"</p><p>"On the coach?"</p><p>"Yeah, probably." His smile grew even wider, and she could tell he was fighting his feet, telling them to walk away. "Goodnight, Hermione."</p><p>"'Night, Ron."</p><p>He leaned in, stealing one last kiss from her before turning away and walking towards the lift. As he waited for it to come, he turned his head to give her one last smile, waving as he stepped into it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Morning After</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The group travel from Manchester to Cardiff and Ron finds out if his incident was spotted by any waiting journalists!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Good morning and happy Tuesday! I'm loving having a posting schedule, it helps me to know where I am during lockdown!! </p><p>Thank you for the lovely comments last week. Who knew D*ve could be such a dickhead?! And you don't know how frustrating it's been for me to take so long for Ron &amp; Hermione to kiss?! Luckily the fluff will continue for a bit longer yet, but there's no way I'm just handing you their first date that easily. You've got a little bit longer to wait, yet! ;-)</p><p>As always, thanks to be11a, adenei and Magpie for beta-ing this for me. And if you enjoy this chapter, please let me know and if you don't - also let me know but be kind and be constructive.</p><p>Love you all! Stay safe xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Ron woke the following morning, he was only vaguely aware of the pain in his hand. Fortunately, there was a throbbing elsewhere that he would have to do something about, but that was definitely a more pleasant feeling, linked to the delightful dreams he'd had that night.</p><p>Kissing Hermione Granger had been bloody brilliant. It had set all of his nerves on end and had sent all of his blood pooling south, giving him pleasure that even the deep purple bruises blooming on his hand couldn't make him forget. He was looking forward to more kissing, hopefully on the tour bus that afternoon, if she'd let him.</p><p>At some point, Ron knew he would have to check with her about how much she wanted people to know about them. He knew she had <em>rules</em>, but she'd never gone into detail about them, and he didn't want to do anything that might put whatever was happening between them off track. He was enjoying it too much.</p><p>He stretched the fingers on his injured hand, wincing as they pulled against his tender skin. He was relieved they could still move, and he hadn't broken anything.</p><p>Ron cast his eyes around his room; it was a complete mess, but he had no desire to start packing. Instead, he decided to take a long, cold shower to try to sort himself out. There was no way he'd be able to concentrate on his work with the constant thoughts of how great Hermione's lips felt on his and the effects those thoughts had on his body. Once he was sure he'd be safe for the day, he would go and get some breakfast.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Ron entered the hotel dining room almost an hour later with a spring in his step. His eyes scoured the room, ignoring the small wave of disappointment when he couldn't see Hermione's bushy head. Instead, he saw Harry waving him enthusiastically over to the table where he was sitting with Ginny and Sirius. Ron let out a disappointed sigh, but took the spare seat with a smile.</p><p>"Morning!" Sirius had his head buried in a newspaper. He finished what he was reading before lowering it enough to peer over at Ron. "How are you feeling? How's the hand?"</p><p>Truthfully, Ron felt brilliant, but he decided to milk his injury for all that he could. If he was lucky, Sirius would let him off pack-up duties.</p><p>"Uh, yeah. Okay, I guess. My hand is hurting quite a lot. Hermione's paracetamols haven't touched the sides."</p><p>"Well, if it's still bad when we get to Cardiff, we can try and get you something stronger." Sirius returned to his newspaper without giving away any of his true feelings about the incident. Ron cursed; he also hadn't been excused from his duties.</p><p>"That punch was awesome, by the way. The bloody guy deserved it!" The corners of Harry's mouth twitched. "I wish I could see his face this morning!"</p><p>"And if you hadn't done it, I would have!" Ginny scowled. "Honestly, that man was bang out of order calling Harry an overrated twerp!" She took an aggressive bite of her sausage before abandoning her breakfast to examine his hand.</p><p>Ron inhaled sharply as her fingers pressed against a particularly sensitive spot. "Ow! Watch it, Ginny! It's a good job Mum won't see those bruises; she'd lose her shit!"</p><p>"Are you sure you don't want to get an x-ray, just in case?"</p><p>He rolled his eyes. "Never mind, Mum's right here…" He laughed as Ginny stuck her tongue out at him. "Hermione doesn't think I need one. Just needs regular icing. I'll pop to Tesco before we get on the coach later, buy a bag just in case."</p><p>"Well, if Hermione doesn't think so." Ron noticed the smirk Ginny threw Harry and rolled his eyes. "If it starts hurting more, you have to promise that you'll go to the hospital this afternoon?"</p><p>Ron scrunched up his face in annoyance at Ginny's fussing. He had plans for when they got to Cardiff later today, work permitting, and he was not going to let anything get in the way. He already had enough on his plate trying to improve on his and Hermione's night out in Manchester the other day. He decided to change the subject.</p><p>"Talking of Hermione, where is she?"</p><p>"We came down just as she was leaving. She's always been an early bird." Harry helped himself to more toast.</p><p>Of course, he'd missed her at breakfast. He should have set his alarm to make sure he was up on time. "Should have known. She's probably desperate to get on with rescheduling stuff or making plans." He ordered his breakfast before turning his attention to the back of Sirius' newspaper. "Any good news, boss?"</p><p>"You mean, did your fight make it into the papers?" Sirius closed his paper, folding it primly before setting it down on the table and raising his eyebrows at Ron.</p><p>"Well, it wasn't so much of a fight as…" Ron trailed off at the warning glance Sirius gave him. "I'm sorry!"</p><p>Sirius continued. "Luckily, nobody has picked up on it yet, but I don't think you're completely off scot-free. You were just lucky it happened so late in the evening. But we'll keep an eye on the websites, just in case. In other news, Harry has had some great reviews!"</p><p>"Brilliant, I'll have a read of them later. See where we can make some improvements. I can't see why the press would be interested in me punching someone anyway, unless there's nothing else for them to talk about at the moment?"</p><p>Despite his calm exterior, Ron felt an unpleasant lurch of nerves. This tour was about Harry, and the last thing Ron wanted to do was take the limelight away from his best friend. Ron preferred to say out of the spotlight. He had witnessed first hand the effect journalists could have on Harry and Ginny, and he didn't want to be a part of it. But, if Harry needed protecting, he was going to do everything he could to defend him. That is what he was being paid to do, after all.</p><p>The uncomfortable feeling didn't last long and definitely didn't put him off his breakfast. He thought he would have had a bollocking from Sirius, but it seems he had managed to get away with it. Still, he knew he shouldn't hang around for too long, just in case his boss had a second thought to drag him across the coals anyway.</p><p>"Right, I better go pack and get some work done. The coach will be here at midday, Harry. Leave your stuff in the room; it'll get sorted!"</p><p>"Looks like someone is channelling Hermione," Harry saluted.</p><p>"Watch it you!" Ron pointed his finger at him with a laugh before leaving them at the table.</p><p>With a full tummy and having escaped a telling off, he seemed to be floating on air. The only thing that would make his day even better would be kissing Hermione again. He knew that if he didn't bump into her this morning, they still had a long coach journey ahead of them. And if nothing else, they had their date tonight.</p><p>He got back to his room and checked on his phone, his heartbeat picking up as he spotted the text from her.</p><p>
  <em>Good morning :) Just checking in to see how your hand is?</em>
</p><p>Ron grinned and threw himself down on the bed. It was unusual for a text message to make him feel this way, but at the moment, he felt like a love-struck teenager, and he was about as horny as one too. Instead of pushing the feeling away like he usually did when he felt interested in a girl, he decided to enjoy it. He had never had a proper relationship in the past, choosing instead to pursue one-night stands and short-term flings. Sex always came first for him.</p><p>But this time, it was different. Of course, if his dreams last night were any indication, he eventually wanted to have a physical relationship with Hermione. The thought was <em>very</em> appealing to him, but it wasn't all he was interested in. For the first time in his life, Ron had met a woman who intrigued him in other ways — her brains, her humour — and he was desperate to find out more before they even got into bed.</p><p>
  <em>It's sore. Honestly, we may have to chop it off :(</em>
</p><p>He rolled onto his back to survey his hotel room. He supposed he should start tidying up and packing before he got on with the rest of his tasks for the morning. It wasn't going to be fun with only one hand.</p><p>⁂</p><p>With everything finally packed back onto the bus, Ron climbed the stairs and threw himself down onto the nearest seat. He lifted his head and, once again, started looking for Hermione. There was no sign of her, so he turned his attention to the couple sitting opposite him.</p><p>"She's sat in the other seating area up the bus. She was reading, so we decided to leave her to it." Ginny was watching him closely. Harry was already fast asleep with his head on her shoulder.</p><p>"Why do you think I care?" Ron challenged her, his jaw set.</p><p>"You punched a guy in the face, and you've got an injury. I know how much you hate it when you're sick. You're the worst patient ever. Yet, you're not acting like a grumpy dick head, so something must have happened to put you in a good mood." She had a satisfied look on her face as the tip of his ears turned pink.</p><p>"I just had a good breakfast." He sat back in his seat, extending his legs out lazily, trying his best to keep his face neutral.</p><p>She grinned even wider at his response, then lowered her voice as Harry started to stir. Her eyes were wide with excitement. "Well, whatever is going on, please be careful. Don't mess things up. We like Hermione!"</p><p>"Nothing is going on for me to mess up, Gin. But I'm so glad you have faith in me!" He got up with a yawn. "I'm going to go and take a nap!"</p><p>"Sure, a nap — is that what the kids are calling it these days?!"</p><p>Ron stuck his middle finger up at his sister and started his way up the aisle just as the bus lurched forward. They were finally on their way. He tried his best not to look too excited and slowed down as he got closer to Hermione. It was strange that she'd chosen to take refuge up here instead of sitting with Ginny and Harry. Maybe it was intentional? Perhaps she was avoiding him, and was hoping he would stay down the front of the coach with the couple. Perhaps she'd inexplicably found out just what he'd been thinking about when he was in the shower earlier?</p><p>His cheeks burned bright red, and he stopped suddenly, frowning to himself; that didn't seem right. If Hermione were avoiding him, then why had she been texting him? Their conversation had carried on all morning, distracting Ron from his packing and almost making him late. And there was absolutely no way she could read his thoughts.</p><p>He let out a heavy sigh — sometimes his brain was his worst enemy, and, despite his best attempts, he couldn't always keep the self-critical thoughts at bay. If Ron wanted to make something out of whatever was happening with Hermione, he would need to be confident and brave.</p><p>Ron collected his thoughts then shoved them to one side, taking a huge breath to calm himself down. Eventually, he took the last step towards her, plastering a huge smile on his face. It didn't take a lot of energy; he was genuinely pleased to see her.</p><p>"You're not hiding from me, are you?"</p><p>She looked surprised to see him, and a flash of concern travelled across her face. Carefully, she put her book down on the table and sat forward. "Not at all. I just wanted some quiet, and I couldn't concentrate on my book with Harry and Ginny eating each other's faces."</p><p>Ron laughed, feeling instant relief. "We could have competed with them!" He waggled his eyebrows at her teasingly. "If you enjoyed the kissing last night, that is."</p><p>She laughed too, and Ron noticed how she bit her lower lip. It looked sexy as hell. "Oh, but I'm busy reading…"</p><p>He ignored the fact that she avoided his statement. Her reaction said it all.</p><p>"Well, I'm going to go have a nap. I'll see you later if you're sure you would rather read than snog me!"</p><p>He gave her a wink, feeling a surge of satisfaction as she started to pack up her belongings. He ignored her following him up the coach, putting his stuff on her bunk to ensure there was enough space in his, just in case, before toeing off his shoes.</p><p>It took him a couple of attempts, and he winced as he put his weight on his injured hand, but eventually, he got himself into his bunk. He stretched his legs out until his feet rested against the dividing wall.</p><p>Hermione was watching him, he could feel her eyes burning against his skin, but he refused to look at her.</p><p>"You look comfortable." She stated. He heard the sound of her curtain closing over her bunk and panicked briefly, turning his head to check, but she was still there watching him. "Just thought, people would be less suspicious if they thought I was napping in my own bunk. You know, if there's space for me in there too?"</p><p>"I can make space if you want?"</p><p>"I remember you were saying that it's like being in the T.A.R.D.I.S. I'm surprised you even know what that is!"</p><p>"You don't have to be a nerd to enjoy Doctor Who, Hermione!" He let himself grin.</p><p>"Well, I don't believe you! You're hogging all the bunk space!"</p><p>Ron hazarded another glimpse at her. Hermione's face was set in determination, and she was glaring at him. He let out a low chuckle.</p><p>Before he knew what was happening, Hermione had removed her own trainers and was expertly pushing herself up into the bunk. Ron didn't know where she got her strength from. She was forced to settle on her side for them both to fit, and her entire length was pressed against Ron's body. He was thankful his injured hand was lying nearest to the wall; the last thing he needed was her squashing it.</p><p>He gulped, his pulse point on his neck throbbing. He contemplated his next move carefully — one wrongly placed limb could set the fragile balance of this new development back a hundred steps. He was also very painfully aware of this morning's little problem popping back up again.</p><p>"Wait a minute, just let me…" He folded the arm lying between the two of them so that it rested under his head. He used the opportunity of moving to make himself more comfortable too. Luckily Hermione hadn't noticed, and she instantly shuffled closer, taking up the small amount of space he created. She rested her head against the crook of his elbow, and his heart almost exploded.</p><p>"You are right; this is really comfortable, if not a little snug!" She reached back and pulled the curtain around them to give them a small amount of privacy.</p><p>"Well, if you're complaining, you know where your own bunk is!"</p><p>"Oh, I know where it is. I can move if you want me to?"</p><p>Hermione wriggled away teasingly, inching away from his just a little, and Ron immediately moaned at the loss of contact from her. She teetered at the edge of the bunk, and he worried she might fall off. His overprotective mode took over, and he used his injured hand to take hold of hers, wincing as he pulled her back to his side.</p><p>"You can stay here, so I can make sure you don't fall out!" He let go of her hand, tensing up as the pain shot from the bruises and through his wrist.</p><p>"Are you sure? Your face is saying differently…" Hermione raised her eyebrows.</p><p>Ron turned his head to face her once more and was struck by how close she was to him. He'd only have to lean forward just a little to kiss her, but he resisted the instinct for now. "I am thrilled right now. But I had to use my bad hand to rescue you."</p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry, Ron." The concern in her eyes only fuelled his urge to kiss her. He would like to do more than just kiss her right now if they only had a little more privacy. "Here, let me kiss you better."</p><p>Hermione pressed her lips against his with a surprising amount of confidence, and Ron responded eagerly. Her fingers took hold of his injured hand, but her touch was so gentle and comforting, he found he didn't mind. They kept the kiss soft, just like it was last night, but it was still perfect. Ron never knew that only just kissing would make him feel so good.</p><p>Eventually, she pulled away, and Ron couldn't stop the smirk crossing his face. "So, you enjoyed the kissing last night then?"</p><p>His question elicited a laugh from her lips. It was such a beautiful sound, and Ron was desperate to hear more of it. "Yes, I enjoyed kissing you last night, as well as just now." Hermione's cheeks blushed bright red, matching the tips of his ears.</p><p>"Good! I really enjoyed it too! Do you think we'll do more of it?"</p><p>"I hope so, and a little bit more, maybe?"</p><p>Ron raised his eyebrows. "Maybe a little bit more, eventually."</p><p>He was starting to get pins and needles in the hand tucked under his head. Carefully, he moved it and draped it over Hermione's shoulder, letting it slide along her arm slowly. "Is this okay?" He stroked her lower arm gently.</p><p>"Yes…" She closed her eyes. "Ron?"</p><p>"Mmmhmm?" Ron was starting to get sleepy. It was so cosy cuddled up with her, and he wanted nothing more than to take a nap.</p><p>"Can we just keep this to ourselves for now? As much as we can?"</p><p>"You're the one who climbed into my bunk, Hermione Granger…"</p><p>She let out a soft laugh. "That I did. But seriously," she forced her eyes open to look up at him. "I'm still new here, and this is new too. I just want to enjoy it without any additional pressure."</p><p>"If that's what you want," he smiled at her, then closed his eyes, feeling her settle back against him. She let out a contented sigh, and he eventually let himself drift off to sleep.</p><p>⁂</p><p>When he woke an hour later, Hermione was still lying in Ron's arms and was fast asleep. At some point, she had angled her body more towards him and tucked her head under his chin. He could feel her hot breath against his neck, and her curls tickled his nose, but he didn't mind it one bit. He kissed the top of her head, then pushed a curl away from her face to see her better.</p><p>Ron's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he carefully shifted so that he could retrieve it without waking Hermione. The message was from Ginny and contained a link with a sad face emoji. So the story about the fight had broken. Hermione stirred as he unlocked his phone so he could read the article.</p><p>"Sorry," he kissed the top of her head again as she stretched.</p><p>"We fell asleep?" She smiled up at him, stretching sleepily and, for a brief moment, he allowed his thoughts to get sidetracked by how adorable she looked; her chocolate brown eyes still heavy with sleep, even if she had drooled on his t-shirt.</p><p>"Yep. I reckon we've been asleep for at least an hour!" He tried to return her smile but failed, and she noticed this straight away, her smile dissolving immediately into a frown. Ron sighed and turned his attention back to his phone, letting the story distract him from her.</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>He didn't answer her — instead, he passed his phone to her with a huff. She read the article twice before locking his phone and throwing it carefully down the bunk away from them.</p><p>"Just ignore it. Skeeter has a bee in her bonnet. It wasn't a bloody riot; you were just doing your job!"</p><p>"I can't just ignore it, Hermione; I've let Harry down!" He removed his hand from her shoulder, throwing it back behind his head.</p><p>"I don't think so. Are you in trouble?"</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>"Well, I can't see why you would be in trouble! What were you supposed to do? Let the man treat Harry that way?! Sirius was there; he saw what happened and that," Hermione gestured towards the forlorn-looking phone lying by her feet. "Was the exact opposite of what happened!"</p><p>"I'm surprised he hasn't come up here. I knew it was too good to be true when he was nice to me this morning!"</p><p>"Not everything you do is wrong, Ron" Her tone softened, and she reached up to smooth his fringe off his forehead. For a second, Ron closed his eyes and let her comfort him. "Maybe you should go speak to Sirius first. Come to an agreement before it blows up into something bigger?"</p><p>"In a moment. I have something else to do first!" He decided to throw caution to the wind and wrapped his arm back around Hermione, pulling her tighter to him and delighting in the small squeal she let out. His heartbeat changed from its angry, erratic pounding to a calmer thump, although it still pushed hard against his ribcage. He watched her, her cheeks flushed and her hair almost crackling with electricity.</p><p>"Jesus, you're beautiful!" Her cheeks burned even brighter, and Ron had a fleeting concern that nobody had told her that before. He'd tell her every day for as long as he could. Unable to wait any longer, Ron lifted his head and pressed a firm kiss against her lips. He kissed her hungrily and desperately, trying his hardest to convey without words just how much he needed Hermione to comfort him. The thought scared and exhilarated him in equal amounts. How the hell did this woman get under his skin so quickly?</p><p>Ron let himself get lost in their kisses, sliding his hand into her hair to hold her close to him. Somehow, she made him feel like everything was going to be okay.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Cardiff</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The tour finally gets to Cardiff, and Ron and Hermione head out on their first date.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Tuesday everyone! 🥳 I hope you're all having a good week so far. I'm back in work, so to cheer me up (and treat you guys) here's this epically long chapter. If you're going to write a first date between Ron and Hermione, you have to make it a long one, right?!</p><p>As a warning, there is talk of mental abuse and gaslighting towards the end. I promise Ron and Hermione are absolutely fine, but I didn't want any of you barrelling into this chapter without knowing. There is enough fluff before and after to buffer it though. </p><p>Thank you to Magpie, Adenei and be11a for betaing this for me, they do a stellar job at making sense of my ramblings. If you enjoyed this chapter, let me know and if you don't, also let me know but remember to be kind and constructive. Have a nice week, stay safe xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione settled back at her little table in the alcove amongst the bunks once Ron left her to go and speak to Sirius. Her book was open in front of her, but she had been struggling to read for the past hour. Instead, her attention was cast out the window, watching the green rolling hills as the bus made its way through the Welsh Valleys.</p><p>She allowed a small smile to creep over her face as she admired the scenery. She used to holiday in Wales with her parents when she was younger. The thought of being somewhere familiar after the strangeness of the new city in Manchester was comforting. She looked forward to seeing how the Country had changed since their last visit all those years ago.</p><p>As the bus joined the M4, Hermione's interest was drawn back to Ron as he made his way up the aisle and settled into the seat opposite her. Their legs slid back together, although she didn't feel the usual flutter of excitement at the contact. Instead, she was anxious about how his talk had gone. Still, she tried to keep a neutral face as she slid a bookmark into the open page before closing her book.</p><p>"How did it go?" Her eyes searched his face, looking for the furrow of his brow or a twitch at the corners of his mouth that might indicate how he was feeling. It struck her momentarily just how concerned she felt for Ron, but she pushed that aside for now, leaving it for examination when she was alone later.</p><p>He let out a hard puff of air and reclined in his seat slightly, their legs tangling together more under the privacy of the table. "It was okay. He was very reassuring that I wasn't in trouble for what happened, although he didn't think it was the best thing I've ever done in my career. But this Skeeter bitch is an issue. Although today's story won't have too much of an impact on Harry's tour or any of his good reviews from last night, we're going to have to keep a closer eye on her. She definitely does not like us, for whatever reason." Ron chuckled softly, his fingers playing with the edge of the table. The bruises on his injured hand were bright purple now, reminding them at every flex what had happened last night.</p><p>"Maybe us throwing her out of the press conference wasn't the best idea?" Hermione frowned.</p><p>"And let her continue to ask ridiculous questions about Harry and my sister? I'm fed up with them being dragged through the mud, especially as they don't deserve it."</p><p>"I guess. You don't think Rita is behind the fan mail or the break-in, do you?"</p><p>Ron shrugged. "We did discuss it, but I don't think so. At least, I've not experienced a journalist going to those lengths. But we must keep an eye on her, just in case."</p><p>Hermione cast her eyes around the bus. Everybody was either at the front or in their own bunks. Confident that nobody was paying them any attention, she reached across the table and took his uninjured hand, giving it a squeeze. "Well, I'm glad this story is going to blow over. You were just looking out for Harry after all, and even Sirius realises that. Do you still want to go out tonight, or would you rather we give it a miss?"</p><p>"Yeah!" He seemed to perk up briefly at the thought of it, but then he frowned. "Unless you don't want to?"</p><p>"No, I do. I just didn't want you thinking we had to if today has been a little overwhelming for you?"</p><p>"I think it's just what I need to cheer me up. I've been looking forward to it all day."</p><p>"Me too. First dates are exciting." Hermione smiled as Ron gave her his lopsided grin, sending the familiar butterflies racing through her belly. With her anxiety about his talk with Sirius over, she decided to concentrate on enjoying this experience.</p><p>"Do you think so? Every first date I've been on has been awkward as fuck."</p><p>"Yeah, but this one won't be." Hermione consoled.</p><p>"No pressure then!"</p><p>"There is absolutely no pressure. I would be happy if you ordered pizza and we ate it in our pyjamas watching rubbish TV. Although I would like to get out and see the city."</p><p>"Yeah, me too. I think you'll like what I have planned."</p><p>The bus started to slow, and they turned their heads to watch as a grand looking hotel came into view. Hermione sighed happily and switched her attention back to Ron.</p><p>"We're quite a way out of the city. Do you want me to order a taxi or anything?"</p><p>"No, Hermione." Ron rolled his eyes, but accompanied it with a squeeze of her hand to show he wasn't snapping at her. "I can sort it all out."</p><p>She threw him a guilty look. Sometimes, she couldn't help the nagging—it escaped her lips before she even had the chance to realise what she was saying. But it only ever came with good intentions. Still, she knew she had to try better to stop it.</p><p>"I'm sorry." She leaned across the table to kiss his cheek before starting to untangle their fingers and legs. They were forced to separate as the bus finally stopped, and they prepared to disembark.</p><p>⁂</p><p>They would be spending the next few days at the Vale Resort, a sprawling spa and golf club, set in the depths of the Welsh Countryside just outside of Cardiff. Everything around them was green, and they could see no other buildings or vehicles apart from those that belonged to the hotel and its guests.</p><p>It took Hermione at least an hour to check everyone into their rooms and pass out keys. The hotel had been under strict instruction that she, Ron, Sirius, and Harry and Ginny should be booked into the topmost floor together. This was for Harry's safety. Neither Ron nor Sirius liked being too far away from Harry's room, so Hermione thought she better stay close also, just in case. Of course, this meant she and Ron would have to be even more careful whilst sneaking out, as they were here primarily to work, after all.</p><p>Finally, she let herself into her room. She had barely crossed the threshold when her phone went off, notifying her that she had a message. Hermione dumped her suitcase onto the waiting luggage stand by the door before venturing further into the room. She settled on the small sofa set into the large window before finding her phone in her handbag, letting herself relax as she read the message.</p><p>We forgot to set a time. How about I book our taxi for 6 pm? I'll call for you just before?</p><p>Hermione felt another surge of excitement in her belly, but this time it was mixed with the tinge of nerves. Still, she couldn't help but feel the smile creep back across her face. Eagerly, she texted Ron back, not wanting him to wait too long for an answer.</p><p>6 is perfect. Am I dressing up or down?</p><p>Luckily, Ron seemed to feel the same way. As soon as she pressed send, she could see the small bubble on the message screen, indicating that he was already writing back to her. She waited, the anticipation bubbling steadily.</p><p>Whatever you wear, you'll look beautiful. But some of the date is outside and we may be near a park so if we have time, we'll go for a walk x</p><p>Hermione's heart started to beat a steady thump in her chest as her eyes focused in on the small x at the end of the message, her smile growing so much her cheeks started to ache. It was just one consonant, and it seemed like such a silly thing to get excited about it, but it meant a whole lot to her.</p><p>Suddenly, she had a moment of panic. Six o'clock was only an hour and a half away, and she didn't even know if she had anything decent to wear. When she'd packed her suitcase in Watford almost a week ago, she wasn't planning on dating anyone whilst on tour. If it had been anyone else, she would have rung Ginny for help, but then she would have to tell her what was going on. But, Hermione had agreed with Ron that they were going to keep things to themselves for now. So Ginny's help was out of the question.</p><p>She felt a wave of nausea, and, for a moment, she worried she might be sick. She had never been one for dressing up. She often relied on her friends to guide her fashion choices, and now all of a sudden, she was in a position where she needed to sort herself out so she could look good for Ron.</p><p>Hermione took a deep breath, trying to push the negative thoughts and self-doubt out of her head. Ron had seen her many times around the house in only her pyjamas, usually with her hair scraped back and nothing on her face. He had never said anything negative about how she looked. In fact, earlier, he had called her beautiful. She was confident that being on a date with him wouldn't change his opinion of her.</p><p>What she needed was a plan. An hour and a half was plenty of time. She put some music on, deciding to take a shower first. Whilst she was there, she could run through her mental inventory of what she had packed, and the warm water would help her think straight.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Despite her earlier panic about the lack of time, Hermione was still ready fifteen minutes before Ron was due to call for her. After her shower, she'd unpacked and finally settled on a casual tea dress that she'd remembered she'd packed as an emergency 'nice' outfit. Instead of the sandals she would usually pair the dress with, Hermione pulled on her trainers and usual coat. Spring in Wales could often be a bit hit or miss, and the five weather websites she'd consulted earlier had given her mixed messages. She didn't want to get caught out.</p><p>She admired her reflection one last time—she'd left her hair down but pulled it off her face with a headband and added a touch of eyeshadow to her usual barely-there make-up. She was happy with what she saw, and she was definitely ready for the date to start.</p><p>A knock on her door brought all of the nerves back with a vengeance. Hermione reminded herself that she had nothing to worry about. Ron was as interested in her as she was in him—otherwise, he wouldn't have asked her out. Grabbing her bag, she headed to the door, answering it just as Ron lifted his hand to knock again.</p><p>"Hey!" Just the sight of him took her breath away. He'd decided to dress down too—choosing a vintage band shirt Hermione hadn't seen before and a delightfully tight pair of jeans. His hair was still damp, and for a brief moment, she got a vivid mental image of what he might look like in the shower and the sort of things he might have gotten up to. She shook the thought out of her head quickly before the blush in her cheeks gave her away.</p><p>"Hey, beautiful." His eyes danced over her body, and a smile crept over his face. She couldn't even remember why she had been feeling nervous. Without even checking to see if they were alone, Ron grabbed her by the hip and pulled her to him for a kiss. If she had been struggling to breathe before, she was pretty sure the kiss killed her off completely. It took all of her self-control to pull away from him instead of yanking him into her bedroom.</p><p>Ron laughed shyly, his cheeks matching the bright red colour of hers. "Are you ready to go?"</p><p>"Yes, absolutely." Hermione laughed too and locked her door. She really wanted to take his hand, but instead, she just tried to walk as close to him as possible. She knew she was overreacting—everyone was probably either locked away in their own rooms or out getting dinner. Still, she didn't want anything to ruin their night. They took the stairs to the foyer. After almost being caught out by Harry the other day in the lift, Hermione felt extra cautious about being caught with Ron in any situation that might be construed as romantic.</p><p>The taxi was already waiting for them as they stepped out into the cool spring air. Ron and Hermione slipped into the back and the driver pulled away without instructions. Hermione suspected Ron had sorted it all out when he'd booked it, and the thought excited her. She'd never had anyone go out of their way to arrange something special for her before.</p><p>As soon as they were out of view, Ron held out his arm. She unfastened her seatbelt and shifted into the middle seat, refastening herself in before snuggling into him.</p><p>"You look really good, by the way." He leaned in, pressing a kiss against her cheek as his hand slipped onto her shoulder.</p><p>"Thank you, so do you. I didn't even realise you had jeans this tight." Her hand moved to his knee tentatively as she rested her head against his.</p><p>"I thought I saw you checking out my butt. You're such a perv!"</p><p>Hermione gasped. "No, I am not!"</p><p>"Whatever, Granger." Ron grinned, and she couldn't help stealing another kiss from him.</p><p>"So what do you have planned for us tonight?" Hermione was finding it harder and harder to resist him, so she decided to change the subject. Otherwise, the flirting would get her too wound up, and she'd be demanding the driver turn them around and take them back to the hotel.</p><p>"Well, if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?! I just hope you're okay with eating fish and chips on a park bench. I thought if I went too romantic, it might set a precedent that I may struggle to keep up with, and I'm not made of money."</p><p>"So you think this might happen again, then?"</p><p>"Well, let's see how tonight goes first—you might be a loud chewer or something and then I would have no choice but to dump you." Ron gave her one of his patented lop-sided grins, and her heart almost stopped yet again.</p><p>Hermione gasped. "Is that all it would take—loud chewing?"</p><p>"I mean, I put up with a lot already." He winked at her.</p><p>"I better remember to keep my mouth shut when eating then. Who knew you had such fussy tastes?"</p><p>"Well now you know. Although, if it does turn out that way and I do have to dump you, it'll make work awkward between us."</p><p>"Nah, I'd get over it."</p><p>"Eventually!"</p><p>"Eventually," Hermione agreed and kissed him once more. There was no way she wanted this, or the kissing, to stop, and she was adamant she was going to do what she could to make tonight go well. She shifted in her seat, her head still resting against his as she watched the Welsh countryside race past them.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Pretty soon, the driver pulled up outside two large wooden doors set into a massive stone building that seemed to disappear into the dark sky. A sign outside indicated they were at Cardiff Castle, although it looked closed.</p><p>"It's a bit late to be visiting the castle, isn't it?!"</p><p>"Oh, shit, yeah. Ah well, we better turn back then." Ron raised his eyebrows at her. "Relax, I've got this under control." He pressed a quick kiss to her temple before sliding out of the taxi first, holding the door open for her and offering her his good hand. Once she was out, the driver had pulled away, and Ron led her up towards the door.</p><p>As they got closer, Hermione noticed a stout-looking, sandy-haired man waiting for them at the entrance hut. Ron picked up his pace, letting go of Hermione once they got to him.</p><p>"Ernie! It's been so long. How are you?"</p><p>Ron wrapped his arms around Ernie, enveloping him in a massive bear hug.</p><p>"I'm great. How are you? Still partying?"</p><p>"Not as much at the moment." Ron pulled away with a laugh before reaching for Hermione again, pulling her closer. "Not now this one is in control of our social life. This is Hermione. Hermione, meet Ernie. He used to work security at some of the smaller venues in the city when Harry started touring. He was a student, so he knew all the best places to drink after gigs. We had some really good nights, didn't we Ern? Lots of booze."</p><p>"Hi Ernie, it's lovely to meet you."</p><p>"So you're the lucky girl dating Ron Weasley? He did a lot of begging down the phone to arrange this, and my after-hour rates don't come cheap." Ernie shook Hermione's hand in a portentous manner.</p><p>"And pay out I will. Not just in cash, either. Sirius agreed to those VIP tickets for tomorrow's concert." Ron slipped Ernie the passes. "I think that will please your girlfriend. Make up for you getting home late tonight?"</p><p>"Oh God, yeah, that will more than help. Thank you." Ernie put the tickets away safely then dug a set of keys out of his pocket. He led them through the gateway and gestured toward the main building. "So Cardiff Castle is motte and bailey. This means it's a stone keep, situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey. There's a protective ditch and palisade, although that mostly helps us to keep the drunks of Cardiff out nowadays." Ernie shut the gateway behind them and locked it before continuing.</p><p>"We usually close at five, but Mr Weasley here has organised a private tour and dinner, something we don't book often. I have to admit, Ron, I was hoping Harry was coming with you?"</p><p>"Nah, he's shacked up with my sister nowadays. They prefer nights in." Ron pulled a face, and Hermione could see the tips of his ears had turned pink, even in the darkness of the castle grounds. "Anyway, Hermione will appreciate this more than Harry."</p><p>"Brilliant! We'll start with the Keep first then, shall we?" Ernie led the way, and Hermione slipped her hand into Ron's, unable to keep the huge grin off her face. This sort of thing was precisely up her street, and she was very eager to get started.</p><p>⁂</p><p>A couple of hours later, Ron and Hermione were sitting opposite each other at a small table. It felt strange, having the whole banquet hall to themselves, but it was still intimate. Ernie's waiters had served one of the best meals she had ever eaten.</p><p>The tour had been brilliant—Ernie really knew his stuff, and Hermione had been keen to discuss every aspect of the tour with Ron, much to his amusement.</p><p>They finished eating, and Ron sat back in his seat, his eyebrows raised in an amused look. Usually, Hermione would feel annoyed by this, but buoyed by the wine and how brilliant the tour was made her curious. "What?"</p><p>"You just haven't taken a breath, not once. Not even while we were eating." Ron laughed, reaching for her hand across the table. They linked their fingers together. "I've been on quite a few first dates, and they've always been awkward. No one ever knows what to say, and I absolutely hate them. But it's different with you. In fact, I can't shut you up."</p><p>"I'm not annoying you, am I?" Hermione frowned; a surge of worry racing through her brain.</p><p>"No, not at all." He squeezed her hand firmly. "It's nice. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."</p><p>"Well, it was a genius date idea, so thank you."</p><p>"My pleasure. I knew you liked books and museums and stuff, so I figured history might be up your street, too."</p><p>Hermione smiled as she relaxed again. She'd forgotten how much of a roller coaster being on a first date was. "So, I've been blabbing on a lot about the tour. Why don't you tell me something I don't know about you?"</p><p>"Like what?" Ron tilted his head to the side, looking curious.</p><p>She chewed her lip as she worked her way through the list of things she was desperate to know about Ron. "How about your plans? Is this it for you? Working as Harry's security guy, or do you have other ideas?</p><p>"For the foreseeable future, I'm okay here. I enjoy this job, and you get a lot of great opportunities. Plus, I've been able to save a fuck-ton of cash since I mostly just charge everything to the business card." Ron laughed when Hermione looked shocked. "Everything I do is for Harry, apart from this date, and I've paid for this myself, so you don't have to worry about running to tell Sirius."</p><p>"I would never!" Hermione laughed. "Have you got plans for the savings?"</p><p>"You're not some gold digger, are you? Is that what these questions are about?" Ron teased, keeping a tight grip on her hand. "I'm actually thinking of setting up my own company and doing the security thing on a larger scale. There actually aren't that many companies that specialise in what I do."</p><p>"What will Harry do without you?!" Hermione laughed.</p><p>"Oh, I'd make sure he had the best person looking after him. Sometimes it could be me."</p><p>"I think that's an excellent idea, Ron."</p><p>"I've actually started a business plan. Maybe if you get five minutes, you could take a look at it?"</p><p>"Yes. Of course, I will."</p><p>"What about you?" Ron threw the question back at Hermione. "You don't seem the type of girl who'd be happy being a PA all your life?"</p><p>"You know, I haven't really thought about it. I'm just hoping the contract gets extended, so I have some proper time to get my head sorted out. It's very unusual for me to not have a plan for my life."</p><p>"Yeah, that doesn't sound like the Hermione I know. What happened?"</p><p>She felt hesitant to tell him. She didn't want him to think any less of her. But Hermione also wanted to make a proper go of this, and she knew she would have to tell him eventually. She took a shaky breath to prepare herself, but then Ernie came over to clear their plates and give Ron the bill, and the moment was gone.</p><p>⁂</p><p>It wasn't until they were back outside the castle and walking through the neighbouring park that Ron brought up the subject again. "I'm sorry if I pushed you out of your comfort zone earlier. You don't have to tell me about your plans if you don't want to, you know?"</p><p>"My plans seriously don't exist. I wasn't lying when I said that. University was so hard for me, and a lot of stuff happened. I just decided after I graduated to take a breather so I could weigh up the pros and cons of going back into law or choosing a different career."</p><p>Ron started pulling Hermione towards a bench, and she followed after him eagerly. Once they were settled on it, he wrapped an arm back around her shoulder. "Tell me more?"</p><p>She turned her head up to observe him. Although she could see the concern flashing through his beautiful blue eyes, he seemed genuinely interested in her. She had never been with a man who seemed to care about her, who wasn't looking for something from her. She felt reassured by his openness.</p><p>She let out a heavy sigh. "I went to an all-girls boarding school from the age of eleven, so I didn't really have a lot to do with boys. When we were sixteen, my friends started sneaking out to go to parties, and I eventually gave in to the peer pressure and joined them. I met a guy called Cormac at one of these parties. He was a year older than me and went to an ordinary comprehensive. We started seeing each other, and before we knew it, we'd been together for two years.</p><p>"And then I got accepted to Oxford, and he turned into this different man. He started getting very possessive of me. I wanted to get out of the relationship. I didn't want to be tied down to someone like him as a student, but he persuaded me to stick with him."</p><p>Hermione took a moment to gather her thoughts. Ron's eyes were piercing her now, forcing her to look away before she grew too scared to continue. She stared at the bank of flowers opposite them as she continued.</p><p>"Cormac made me feel as if I wouldn't be able to get anyone else, and I was a lot more insecure than I am now. I was eighteen. According to him, I was undesirable, and I'd never land a decent bloke like he apparently was. So instead of moving to Oxford and enjoying my time as a student, I stayed at the cheapest flat I could rent so that I could spend the rest of my meagre savings travelling back to Cheltenham every weekend. He didn't even have his own place—he lived with his parents. I'd travel back Friday night then get back to Oxford in time for lectures Monday morning.</p><p>"During the summer before my final year, he persuaded me to stay with him instead of spending the break in Australia with my parents. I was so bored there. He was always out, leaving me to my own devices. If I complained or asked him to take some time from whatever he was doing to spend time with me, he made me feel like I was asking too much or being needy. Looking back on it now, he was gaslighting me, but I didn't know what that was.</p><p>"So I got a job at a coffee shop. I thought at least I'd have enough money to continue all my weekend travelling when I got back to my last year. I was exhausted by then. Like really, really tired, and so the sex stopped, despite Cormac's best attempts. After a particularly long shift, I got back to his parents to find him in bed with another woman."</p><p>She shuddered and tears formed in her eyes. She risked a look back at Ron. His face had clouded over, and she let the tears fall. His reassuring grip on her shoulder made her feel safe enough to tell him the whole story.</p><p>"I kind of lost it after that. He'd been abusing me mentally all that time that I think I had a bit of a meltdown. Any additional studying I'd been doing went out of the window, and I started mixing with a bad crowd. All of that spilt over to Oxford when I returned. Although luckily, because I wasn't doing so much travelling, I still managed to scrape a first. Originally, I wanted to take my BCAT and become a barrister, but after all of that, I just didn't fancy it."</p><p>"Wow!" Ron breathed out. "That's a lot, Hermione." His jaw was set now, almost in anger, and Hermione was pretty sure that if Cormac was there with them, he would have gotten a similar punch to the face as Dave did last night. Cormac wouldn't stand a chance against Ron.</p><p>She waited patiently for him to talk again, exhausted from spilling everything. She had only told her therapist this, and it was a lot to keep inside her. She felt as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders. When he hadn't responded after a couple of minutes, she started chewing her lip and fidgeting, worrying she'd said too much.</p><p>"Well, first off. I just want to make it clear to you that I would never act that way. I know that's easy to say, but I mean it. I may come off as a hothead, but I was fortunate that my parents bought us all up to be decent people. Plus, Ginny would kill me if I started acting like a dick." He finally laughed, immediately putting Hermione at ease.</p><p>"Secondly, this Cormac guy seems like a complete bellend. It's probably a good chance I wasn't there back then because I would have sorted him out straight away. How the hell could he cheat on you? You?! You're fucking brilliant, Hermione. The idiot obviously didn't know what he had."</p><p>Hermione laughed this time, despite her tears. Ron always knew the right thing to say to cheer her up. He reached up to wipe them away, leaving his hand cupping her cheek. The touch of his thumb stroking against her skin was comforting, and she rested her head against his palm, her heartbeat finally steadying.</p><p>"Thank you, Ron; it really does mean a lot hearing it from you."</p><p>"And I mean it. You're beautiful and a genius. Given how all of this started off, you know I'm telling you the truth."</p><p>"Yeah, you hated me when I started working here."</p><p>"Hate is a strong word." He laughed again, but it didn't last as long as concern flooded back over his features. "Are you okay?"</p><p>She didn't respond. Instead, Hermione leaned more into him, pressing her lips against his in a hungry kiss. Telling Ron about what happened was cathartic, and she felt like she could move on with whatever this was freely now. He responded eagerly, wrapping both arms around her and pulling her closer to his body. Every kiss made her feel better and gave her the hope that something better was coming her way.</p><p>Eventually, they were forced to pull away as a group of teenagers walked past them, whooping and jeering. They laughed, and she rested her forehead against his.</p><p>"I guess I better get you back to the hotel; it's getting late."</p><p>"In a bit? Can we just sit here for a bit longer?" Hermione had finally stopped crying, and she didn't want her sobbing on a bench as their last memory of their date.</p><p>"Sure, whatever you want."</p><p>She snuggled back up to his side. "If I don't get a chance to tell you when we get back, tonight has been perfect. Thank you."</p><p>"You're welcome." He squeezed her closer. "Although, I reckon you should book the next date in Sheffield, put the ball in your court and see if you can beat this."</p><p>Hermione laughed. "Challenge accepted. Bring it on, Weasley!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Missing Guitar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry's tour starts to draw to an end and things seem to be going too well for our lovebirds.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Good morning and happy Tuesday. I'm getting this chapter out to you all early this morning, as my work is currently mental! For those who ask for more sooner, this is why I stack my chapters and post them weekly - otherwise, there'd be more than one week between updates! I haven't had time to write since Saturday :O</p><p>My delightful betas be11a, adenei and Magpie once again did wonders with this chapter, especially spotting my favourite words. This week it was the word "danced", see how many times you spot it!</p><p>I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you do, let me know and if you don't, also let me know but remember to be safe and kind. Hope you all have a fantastic week xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Harry's tour rumbled on, so Hermione and Ron's dates continued.</p><p>In Sheffield, Hermione took Ron to a Jurassic Park movie marathon (the originals only) after he'd spent most of the day before complaining that he wouldn't get a chance to go. It had finished well past midnight, and she had been so tired that she had slept right through Harry's concert. As a result, she was subjected to hours of teasing for being able to nap for that long in the green room.</p><p>In Nottingham, Ron booked a nice meal in a posh restaurant, then challenged Hermione to two rounds of bowling.</p><p>They'd visited Birmingham, Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Belfast, and everywhere else in between. And now, they were in Glasgow — the second to last venue on the bill.</p><p>Last night, after an early arrival in Glasgow, Hermione had taken Ron to the Lego shop at the Buchanan Galleries. They had created miniature lego versions of themselves after kicking the small children out of the area. At dinner later that evening, they'd swapped the figures. Ron still had tiny Hermione in his pocket, and every so often, his fingers drifted to his pockets to touch it. It was like she was there with him as he worked his way through his long list of tasks.</p><p>The amount of work he had to do didn't remove the smile from his face. There had been no further incidents where Ron had felt he needed to punch someone, and Harry's tour had been a roaring success. There had been no more strange men lingering in corridors or any wayward journalists. His hand was almost fully healed, too, helped by the care Hermione had given him.</p><p>Although they'd moved cities so many times over the past few weeks, and he only knew what day it was because Hermione reminded him every morning, Ron didn't think life could get any better. He was working a job he loved, earning good money to do so, and had a pretty remarkable girl, too. However, they still hadn't made anything official, despite dating for over a month now.</p><p>Ron wasn't too concerned. They had plenty of time to sort that out. Tomorrow, they'd be on their way back to London, and after Harry's final two nights at the O2, they would have a whole fortnight off. A well-deserved break, given how hard they'd been working.</p><p>He yawned as he made his last pre-concert checks. Although their date had finished relatively early last night, Hermione had woken him up first thing that morning by pounding on his door. She wanted to try and have breakfast together in peace. It didn't last long. Ron was just returning to the table, his plate loaded with food from the buffet, when Sirius joined them, completely unaware of what he was disturbing.</p><p>To make things worse, Hermione had eaten her breakfast with a smirk on her face, driving Ron crazy. Tomorrow morning, he was determined to order room service so that they could have some privacy before their long journey back to Watford.</p><p>He decided he needed some fresh air before the real work started and the crowds were let in for tonight's concert. He felt for his walkie talkie and pressed the button to allow him to speak to Sirius and the rest of the crew.</p><p>"Popping out of fire exit A for five. Not going far. Yell if you need anything."</p><p>Ron headed outside, propping the door open with a piece of cardboard so that he could get back in again. He was probably breaking about a hundred safety regulations, but there was no way he was walking all the way around the venue to try and get back in if he was needed. He found a quiet spot a short distance away from the door and leaned against it, closing his eyes and letting the sun warm his skin.</p><p>It didn't take long for him to hear the door open again. "Make sure you prop it open."</p><p>Ron's heart started pounding, but he didn't open his eyes. Instead, he crossed everything and hoped that it was Hermione and not Harry who'd chosen to join him. Soon, a set of footsteps got closer until he could smell her light perfume. She didn't wear a lot, just enough to make his senses go wild every time she was near.</p><p>Her soft fingers danced over his hand, forcing him to open one eye. He watched as she drifted into his view and gave her a smile.</p><p>"I was hoping it was you."</p><p>"I just couldn't resist grabbing a quiet five minutes with you. It's been another busy day."</p><p>He opened his other eye so that he could take her in properly. The venue had been like a greenhouse all day, not helped by the increasingly warm weather outside. Hermione had abandoned the jumper she was wearing earlier and had spent the day working in a nice vest. It had a lace trim at the bottom of it that barely met the waistband of her jeans, giving Ron a small glimpse of her lightly tanned, flat stomach. He bit his lip to stop the groan from escaping.</p><p>"Far too busy. Can't believe this is the first moment I've had with you since Sirius ruined our breakfast."</p><p>Hermione tutted. "He didn't ruin it. You were just fortunate it was <em>my</em> feet you were playing footsie with and not his."</p><p>Ron laughed, throwing his head back against the wall. "Can you imagine his face?"</p><p>"Oh, he would have called you out straight away for sure. Might have been hard to explain." She stepped closer to him. One of her hands stayed stroking his arm whilst the other rested lightly on his belt, playing with one of the loops.</p><p>"Have you had a good day, though?" He tangled their fingers together, ignoring the small twinge from the residual bruises and pulled her towards him.</p><p>"It's better now." She let her head drop against his chest, and Ron rested his chin on top of her curls. He loved having her this close to him, and they fit together perfectly. He wrapped his spare arm around her.</p><p>"Yeah, same," he sighed happily. "Tell you what, I'll order us breakfast in bed for tomorrow."</p><p>"In bed?" Hermione lifted her head up to glance at him, her eyebrows raised.</p><p>"Well, no. That's not what I meant." He felt a blush creep over his cheeks. "I thought I could order us room service, and you could come into my room once it was delivered and eat it with me."</p><p>Hermione laughed. "Relax, Ron, I'm teasing you." She leaned forward, and he felt her breath, hot against his ear. "I'd love to have breakfast in bed with you."</p><p>He groaned. It was only a few simple words, yet they drove him crazy. He'd been trying so hard to behave himself over the past few weeks, not that he thought that made him deserving of a medal. He just wanted to be respectful to her. He didn't want to push her out of her comfort zone, especially after what she had told him about Cormac. But she was proving very difficult to resist.</p><p>She pulled away, a cheeky grin on her face. "But there's no way I'm sleeping in your room. You're a snorer, and I need as much sleep as I can get!"</p><p>"I'm a snorer? You're just as bad. And you drool, too, all over my top."</p><p>"I told you if you don't enjoy it, don't invite me to your bunk."</p><p>"Well, I tried, but you just keep on coming back."</p><p>"You love it."</p><p>It was just a throwaway comment, yet it caused a massive surge of excitement in his stomach. Before he realised what he was saying, he was nodding his head.</p><p>"I do, actually." His ears burned, but he kept his eyes trained on her.</p><p>"You do what?" She smirked.</p><p>"Hermione, don't make this hard for me. I love cuddling you, and I love you."</p><p>"Oh…" She looked taken aback, and Ron started to feel sick. He had said the wrong thing and completely fucked up this great relationship they had just started. He began apologising, but she clamped her hand over his mouth. "I love you, too."</p><p>"Really?" He questioned against her hand. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised.</p><p>"Yeah, of cour—"</p><p>Ron was done discussing it with her. One hand moved to the small of her back while the other tangled in her hair, pushing her towards him. He kissed her hard, trying to show her just how happy he was with their confessions. He delighted in the small moan that escaped her lips and drew her closer. Their legs slid together, their bodies meshing into one. Tentatively, his tongue nudged at her, and she opened her mouth willingly for him, letting them dance together.</p><p>They kissed like this for a while, enjoying their uninterrupted time together during daylight. Ron knew they wouldn't have long; that soon enough, they'd be called back to their tasks. Already, the sun was starting to drop below the city's skyline. The long kisses were broken up with shorter ones, fingers and limbs tangled and untangled as the pair fought to maintain close contact.</p><p>Ron couldn't help but push his luck with her. For so long, he'd kept his hands above the material of their clothes, not wanting to make Hermione feel uncomfortable. But their kisses felt different this time, more heated, and he felt there was a mutual desire to feel more of each other. He broke away, rubbing his nose against hers as his fingers grazed along the waistband of her jeans. She kept eye contact with him, a grin appearing on her face as she gave him a quick nod.</p><p>"Go on then," she laughed.</p><p>He groaned as his hand slid under the denim and pushed past the material of her underwear, gliding along smooth skin. He didn't go too far, but just being able to cup her backside without the barrier of her jeans was enough to drive him crazy. She did the same, both of her hands taking a firm grip on his skin as their lips sought out each other once more.</p><p>It was such a small thing, yet Ron thought it was an outstanding achievement as they kissed hungrily. He wondered if he could go one step further and move his hand around to her front. He was so hard now; he was positive she could feel him against her leg, but she wasn't complaining, so it just spurred him on. Ron let his fingers drift around from her backside, sliding them over her hip bone as she moaned in appreciation.</p><p>The crackle of their walkie talkies interrupted them, and they pulled away quickly.</p><p>Hermione's face was flushed, her lips were swollen, and her curls a mess. He'd never seen her looking so beautiful, despite the guilty look she threw him. Trust her to worry about being disrupted whilst they were snogging on work time.</p><p>"Ron, Hermione. Where are you?" Sirius' voice appeared in his ear.</p><p>Ron sighed, keeping eye contact with Hermione as she attempted to catch her breath. "I'm still outside. What's up?"</p><p>"Can you come to the green room? It's urgent. Grab Hermione if you find her."</p><p>He frowned as Sirius signed off. He turned his walkie down again.</p><p>"I wonder what that's about. Sirius sounded mad."</p><p>"There's no way he could have seen us, was there?" Hermione looked anxious, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.</p><p>"No, and we're not breaking any rules!" He reached out, adjusting Hermione's vest quickly as she reached up to tidy his hair. "Let's go and find out."</p><p>Ron's fingers itched to take her hand, but he knew better than that. Whatever Sirius wanted, it sounded important, and his stomach gave a nervous lurch. Ron led the way back up to the green room, trying his best to ignore the negative thoughts racing through his mind. He always assumed the worst.</p><p>The mood in the room was sombre. Harry was pacing up and down the small area, whilst Sirius and Colin, the guy responsible for Harry's instruments, watched on miserably.</p><p>"What's up?" Ron folded his arms across his chest as he surveyed the scene, feeling the loss of Hermione as she immediately gravitated towards Sirius. In a better moment, he might have teased her for sucking up, but this wasn't the time.</p><p>"Harry's red guitar has gone missing!" Colin admitted.</p><p>"The Gibson acoustic?"</p><p>"Yep, that one!"</p><p>Ron's heart plummeted, and he felt terrible for his best friend. Not only was it the best guitar in Harry's collection, but it had been gifted to him by his parents. It was his prized possession. "Did you take it back to the hotel room last night?"</p><p>"No, I gave it back to Colin after soundcheck this afternoon." Harry stopped pacing and turned to look at Ron, wringing his hands.</p><p>"So it's gone missing between then and now?"</p><p>"Yes, Ron, isn't that obvious. Some of my picks have gone, too!"</p><p>Ron tried his best to ignore Harry's tone. He was distraught and not thinking straight. Ginny got up from where she was perched on the edge of the sofa, intent on comforting Harry, but he shrugged her off.</p><p>"What's the story, Col?" Ron turned to the blonde-haired guy, who shrugged at him.</p><p>"I did a full check on everything, just like I always do. Tuning, strings, cables. Everything was there. I signed it all off, then left one of the security guys to keep an eye on it all while I went on break. When I got back, it was gone. He had a pass."</p><p>"Which one? Do you remember his name?"</p><p>"Tall, dark hair, really gaunt and pale." Ron noticed Hermione stand up straighter and felt his pulse throb with urgency. This was bad. "I didn't get his name, sorry." Colin looked as stressed out as Harry. Ron felt sorry for him, too; he loved those guitars just as much as Harry did.</p><p>"It's okay, Colin. That's why we have Ron." Sirius stepped forward, placing a steadying hand on Colin's shoulder.</p><p>Ron let out a shaky sigh. He knew it was too good to be true. Everything had been going too well. "Okay, I don't remember seeing anyone like that on this morning's briefing, but the venue sometimes throws their own guards into the mix and just repeats what I told everyone. I'll do a walk around now; it's probably just been left somewhere. I'll find it, Harry."</p><p>"I can't go on without that guitar." Harry looked close to tears.</p><p>"Sure you can," Ron took him by both shoulders. "Anyway, you don't use it until the last but one song, and I'm pretty sure I'll have found it by then. In the meantime, Colin will get your back up ready."</p><p>Harry nodded and flopped down on the sofa next to Ginny, who instantly tried to calm him down.</p><p>Ron threw a meaningful look at Hermione. "Can you come with me? I need your help." He turned back to the room. "I'll report back as soon as I find anything out."</p><p>He left the room swiftly, Hermione hot on his heels. His stomach was churning nervously, and he wanted nothing more than to be back outside with her. This was the last thing he wanted to happen on his watch.</p><p>As soon as he was far enough away from the green room, he turned to look at Hermione. She spoke first.</p><p>"Ron, the guy Colin described. Dark hair, tall —"</p><p>"—pale. Yeah, I caught it too. Sounds like the guy you saw in Manchester, doesn't it?"</p><p>She was chewing on her lower lip again, a sign that indicated to Ron that she was worried. He hated seeing her this way. Although he knew he had important things to go and sort out, he couldn't leave her in this state. He sighed and pulled her to him, giving her a quick hug.</p><p>"It's not the same bloke. Manchester is at least two hundred miles away. Nothing sinister is happening. It's just a mistake, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get to the bottom of it."</p><p>The sound of voices started floating their way, so they quickly broke apart.</p><p>"Is there anything I can do to help?" Hermione asked quietly.</p><p>"Head to the venue management team and let them know what's happened. Find out if I can review the security footage. Then you'll need to ring the police. Work with the management team."</p><p>"Okay." She stepped further away from him, and Ron could see the hesitance in her eyes. He hated leaving her, but he had work to do, and there was no way he could abandon his duties any longer just to comfort Hermione. Not right now. She wasn't the person who was being directly impacted by this incident.</p><p>"Ring me, okay. Or text if you don't feel like using the walkie talkie!" He sighed and forced himself to turn away from her. He needed to speak to his team quickly before the guitar made it out of the building.</p><p>He found the nearest staircase and took the steps two at a time. As he rounded the corner into the backstage area, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out as he walked towards the instrument holding area, reading the message.</p><p>
  <em>I love you x</em>
</p><p>It was all he needed to push him through his investigation.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The tour comes back to London, but Hermione finds it difficult to sleep now they're back at home.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Thank you for all the love for the last chapter, this one is a bit of a respite from the drama you'll be very glad to know.</p><p>Adenei9, be11atrixthestrange and QuickSilverFox once again are the best betas of this fic. Please make sure you check out their stories as they're pretty awesome writers too.</p><p>This chapter is dedicated to wingardiumromione and Emiliano who are both celebrating their birthdays this week and are faithful commenters/reviewers and deserve all the birthday love.</p><p>As always, if you enjoy this then please let me know and if you don't, also let me know but don't forget to be kind and be constructive. Have a lovely week and stay safe xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione rested her head against the window of the bus, letting out a sigh. The vibration from the engine rumbled through her brain, soothing her travel fatigue only slightly. They had been stuck on this coach for five hours, and that wasn't counting the two breaks for Hagrid to stretch his legs. But London was finally within their reach. To Hermione, it felt like it would never come.</p><p>A loud snore distracted her, and she turned her head, a fond smile on her face as her eyes settled on Ron. He was lying in the seat next to hers, his mouth wide open. He was snoring so loud; she was pretty sure the people of Glasgow could still hear him. What she had said yesterday still stood: <em>He would be a nightmare to try and sleep next to</em>.</p><p>She felt the burn in her cheeks almost immediately as her mind took her back to yesterday afternoon before things went wrong. The touch of his hand against her bare skin had been phenomenal, better than anything else she had experienced so far (not that she had a lot of experience to compare it to). Cormac had always been rough with her, but Ron was nothing but soft and caring. She would have been willing to let him go further, had they not been interrupted.</p><p>Ron shifted in his sleep and leaned against her. It took all of her self control not to loop her arm around his shoulder and kiss the top of his head. She'd had a long time to think on this journey, and with their confessions of love still playing in her mind, she had decided to stop hiding what they had. It had been six weeks now, and things were going well—missing guitars aside. She made a mental note to talk to Ron about it tomorrow when they were feeling more refreshed.</p><p>The tour had been a whirlwind of cities and concerts, and it had been hard to keep track of where they were as they zigzagged across the country. The back and forth had been exhausting. Hermione had already added working out a more efficient travel plan to the next tour's to-do list. She wondered if Sirius and Harry ever held a retrospective meeting and collected lessons learnt. Probably not.</p><p>Eventually, the signs on the motorway indicated they were finally nearing London. Hermione gently shook Ron's shoulder to wake him. Her smile grew as he stirred, corresponding with the increase of her pulse. He was even more handsome when he was still warm with sleep and looking just a tiny bit disoriented. At that moment, she decided, snoring or not, that she wanted to try and sleep next to him if it meant she got to wake up to this when the night was over.</p><p>"Hey you, I think we're almost home."</p><p>She took his hand and looped their fingers together before letting them fall into the gap between their seats. Despite her decision, they were still hiding whatever was going on between them, and it wouldn't be fair on him to start acting on it without discussing it first. They were both happy with taking things slowly, and yesterday had been the first time they'd progressed past kissing. It had only taken them a couple of weeks to move from enemies to colleagues and then friends, so it just felt right that they tried to take their time with the shift to lovers.</p><p>It helped that Ron was gentle, kind and patient. After her admission about her past, she had been worried that he would have changed the way he acted around her, but credit to him, he'd acted precisely the same way.</p><p>Hermione was pretty sure the others had their sneaking suspicions that something was going on. Harry always looked like he wanted to ask—especially when Ron wasn't available to hang out with him. But Ginny, seemingly knowing what was going on between them, had managed to throw Harry off the trail.</p><p>A few times, Hermione had almost slipped up whilst talking to people about Ron. In Aberdeen, she had referred to him as her boyfriend to their waitress. Luckily, he hadn't noticed, or if he had, he was pretending he didn't. She was desperate to refer to him that way. Hopefully, over the next few days, they could sort it out.</p><p>Hermione hadn't taken on this job expecting to fall for someone this hard, yet it had happened. Instead of trying to fight against it, she'd decided to embrace the ride wholeheartedly.</p><p>Ron stretched, bringing her out of her thoughts as he bared a delightful glimpse of his pale hip. He was becoming very hard to resist.</p><p>"How long have we been on this stupid bus?!"</p><p>"Days. I'm pretty sure I'm getting cabin fever," Hermione sighed. "Are you going to be okay to drive us back? I can call us a taxi or something?"</p><p>"I'll be okay. I must have been asleep for a while?" He gave her a lopsided grin before checking their surroundings. Everyone else was distracted. Ron must have been satisfied by this as he leaned over and pressed a kiss against her temple.</p><p>"Ron!" She grinned, pushing him away.</p><p>"Oh, come on, we've been sitting here together like this since Glasgow. Nobody is paying a blind bit of attention to us." He laughed happily before letting go of her to start collecting his things. "Nobody gives a fuck, I promise!"</p><p>Hermione didn't respond to him. Instead, she mirrored his actions and packed her belongings into her bag. She hadn't even tried to do work on their long journey. She'd stopped that a few cities ago. There was always some form of distraction—usually a red-headed man with a potty mouth.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Eventually, they stepped off the bus, and Hermione felt a slight buzz of excitement. She was looking forward to getting back to her bed, but more importantly, she was excited to see Crookshanks again. She had never been away from her fluffy companion for this long.</p><p>She trudged behind Ron and Harry as they made their way back to Ron's car, and she dutifully climbed into the back with Ginny.</p><p>There was still no rest for them, even though they were now back in Watford. Harry had two shows at the O2 tomorrow and the day after. Although he was still threatening to call them off since he hadn't found his guitar, Hermione knew he wouldn't. There was no way he'd let his fans down that way.</p><p>Ron had taken the incident personally. When they'd left the venue after the concert last night, it was without him. He had decided to stay behind to review the CCTV footage, even though the police had now officially taken the case on. His whole security team was on edge, mostly under Ron's pressure.</p><p>But Ron was still none the wiser. He hadn't turned up for breakfast that morning and had climbed blearily onto the coach the moment before they had been due to leave. He'd looked exhausted. Hermione had tried to look after him, but he'd pushed her away. She'd learnt early that when he was in this sort of mood, it was better to leave him alone to it, but she couldn't help the joy she'd felt when he'd chosen to sit next to her on the bus instead of shutting himself away in his bunk.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Hermione must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, Ron was announcing their arrival back at the house. She opened her eyes and peered up for it, feeling another small rush of excitement. Although she had been away from this house for the same amount of time she'd been living there, she already felt like she was home.</p><p>Her eyes felt gritty, and she rubbed at them before getting out of the car. She only had to last a few more minutes, and she would be back in her bed. She felt like a zombie as she followed everyone out of the car, mumbling goodnights to them all as she pulled her suitcase up the stairs and let herself into her bedroom, not even stopping to kiss Ron goodnight. She knew he'd forgive her. He was as tired as her anyway.</p><p>Crookshanks was waiting for her on the bed, and he let out a loud meow as soon as he set eyes on his owner. Hermione closed the door and flopped down on the bed next to him, immediately reaching out to scratch under the cat's chin.</p><p>"Hey, my handsome man. How are you doing? Did you miss me?" The cat's loud purr was almost enough to lull her into a deep sleep, but she was still in her travelling clothes and felt dirty after so many hours on the coach. "Oh, I want nothing more than to cuddle up to you and sleep, but I need a shower. Don't go anywhere; I'll be right back!"</p><p>She texted Ron quickly, wishing him a good night before kissing the top of Crookshanks' head and forcing herself off the bed. She located her wash bag quickly, as she'd deliberately packed it so that it was on top of everything else. She yawned as she made her way through to her ensuite.</p><p>⁂</p><p>By the time Hermione had finished with her shower and dried her hair, she was wide awake again. She pulled on a pair of cosy pyjamas and tried getting herself settled in bed, But she couldn't get comfortable, even though her bones ached with weariness. Even Crookshanks got fed up with her tossing and turning and settled in his cat bed on the floor.</p><p>She let out a heavy sigh and rolled onto her side, her weary eyes focusing on the door to her balcony. Maybe some fresh air would help.</p><p>Hermione got out of bed and wrapped her dressing gown around her body before slipping her feet into her slippers. She turned her bedroom lights off, then stepped onto the balcony. Just before she reached for the switch for the outdoor lamp, she spotted the shadow of someone already out there, leaning against the metal balcony. It was very obviously Ron—she could tell that by the way the tall body was slouching and moving. She knew this shared verandah would have its benefits.</p><p>She stepped up to him, sliding her arms around his waist and flattening her palms against his abdomen. Although she couldn't see his face, she knew he would be smiling.</p><p>"Hey, you." The sound of his voice, even though it was weary, filled her body with warmth.</p><p>"Hi." Hermione pressed her face between his shoulder blades, inhaling the scent of him over his old t-shirt. She wondered if he'd been having trouble getting to sleep too.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Ron pushed back the material of her dressing gown to rub her arms softly, the calluses on his hands making her skin tingle.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine." She closed her eyes, already feeling more relaxed from just being in the vicinity of him. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd get some fresh air. And then I found you."</p><p>"Oh well, if you want space, I can go back to my room. I'm starting to get cold now anyway."</p><p>He turned around quickly, surprising her. She stepped back to take him in. He had paired his old t-shirt with threadbare pyjama bottoms and, as per usual, was wearing nothing on his feet, despite the late spring chill in the air.</p><p>"I don't want space, at least not from you. Although now I am worried that you're going to catch your death out here!"</p><p>Her eyes drifted over the material of his t-shirt where it strained against his chest, and she bit her lower lip, her cheeks flushing in excitement.</p><p>"Yeah, I can see that me getting cold is all you're concerned about! Anyway, I have you to keep me warm!" He pulled her into his chest, wrapped his massive arms around her. She snuggled close, resting her head against him happily.</p><p>"Are you worried about Harry?"</p><p>"Yeah," Ron admitted. "I'm so annoyed that I couldn't work out what happened to his guitar. He loved that thing. The police were less than useful, too."</p><p>"You have to let them do their jobs, sweetheart."</p><p>"I know," he sighed. "Seamus sent me the instructions for all the new CCTV he set up whilst we were away. I get an alert as soon as someone even walks past the house on the street, so it's a lot easier for me to keep an eye on things. We're safe here."</p><p>"Is it only you who can see it? Or does Sirius get an alert, too? Can he see what we're up to right now?" She turned her head up to smirk at Ron.</p><p>"If he isn't already fast asleep. At least two cameras are pointing at us as we speak!" He smirked back before dropping his head to steal a quick kiss from her. "We better not get up to too much then, or we'll be outed!"</p><p>She returned the kiss, stretching up on her tiptoes to make sure she could get closer to him. She pouted as he pulled away.</p><p>"I know it was my idea to keep things secret, but maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing?" Hermione reached up to stroke his cheek.</p><p>"You want to go public?"</p><p>"I've been thinking about it. After all the 'I love you' talk yesterday, it just feels right. Plus, I think Harry and Ginny have already worked it out!"</p><p>"Do you think so?" Ron frowned.</p><p>"They keep on giving us funny looks and whispering between them if we so much as stand close together!" She laughed softly.</p><p>"Huh!" Ron seemed to drift into a daydream, and his lopsided grin returned to his face. Hermione watched him, feeling amused. Eventually, he shook himself out of it and rested his forehead against hers. "Given everything that's going on at the moment, it doesn't feel right making a big thing out of it. We could just stop trying so hard to hide this?"</p><p>"There might be a lot of questions…" Hermione could feel his breath hot against her skin.</p><p>"So?" Ron challenged back. He had a hard look in his eyes, and she knew right then that she was done for.</p><p>"You're right," she resolved. "Let's just stop hiding…"</p><p>Ron pressed one soft kiss against her lips, as if agreeing with her. The next kiss was more demanding, and Hermione felt herself go weak at the knees as she slid both of her hands into his hair, holding him as close to her as she could get him. She felt drunk on him—like she couldn't get enough. She marvelled at the effect he had on her. Desperate for breath, she tore her lips from his, a huge smile plastered on her face.</p><p>"Yeah, I think you're right," he panted. "It'll be good not to hide this."</p><p>She didn't respond. Instead, she pressed softer kisses against Ron's lips, making it last for as long as she could.</p><p>"We're giving Sirius a show!" he chuckled.</p><p>"Then let's not. Shall we move inside?"</p><p>"Are you sure?" His hand dropped to her cheek, caressing it softly with his thumb as his eyes questioned hers.</p><p>"Positive." Her lips found him again, the kiss a lot hungrier this time as he carefully steered her off the balcony and towards his bedroom. They carried on kissing as they moved, laughing as they struggled to get through the door without breaking apart. On the third try, they finally got through it, and Ron reached behind her to shut the door carefully.</p><p>Hermione got so lost in his kisses that she didn't even realise they had gravitated towards the bed until Ron's legs hit his mattress. He fell back onto it, pulling her with him. She straddled his lap, moaning as she felt his hardness under the thin layers of their pyjama bottoms.</p><p>Suddenly, she felt way too hot in her dressing gown, and she pulled at it eagerly. He helped her out of it, laughing as it finally fell to the floor.</p><p>"That's a hell of a lot better." Ron let out a hard breath before pressing his lips against Hermione's shoulder, kissing anything he could get to. He spluttered as he got a mouthful of hair, and she laughed, pulling it out of the way for him.</p><p>"I'm sorry, I just washed it and didn't think to bring a bobble!"</p><p>"Well, you need to be better prepared next time!" He smirked then pushed one of her straps down as far as it would go. She took the hint and pulled her arm out of it. He looked pleased with himself as the flimsy top slipped down, baring a breast to him. He immediately took a nipple into his mouth, pressing his tongue against it.</p><p>Hermione felt a buzz of pleasure pooling in her lower belly, letting out a sharp gasp. "That feels good," she whispered, sliding one hand into his hair as the other worked on removing the rest of her top. She slipped her other arm out of it, letting it pool at her waist.</p><p>She had never felt comfortable being naked in front of other men before, so she was surprised when her body didn't heat up in embarrassment as Ron gazed at her, the lopsided grin once again on his face. She couldn't feel ashamed when she had someone as gorgeous as him worshipping her skin.</p><p>"Jesus, Hermione, you're so beautiful!" He finally leaned back so he could regard her properly. He moaned at the angle of friction he created, and she laughed, pushing her hips against him again. "You're a fucking tease too!"</p><p>"Only for you!" She finally blushed under the intensity of his look. "But I think we're both wearing too much clothing, don't you?"</p><p>"I agree!" Ron nodded and pushed her unceremoniously off her lap. She squealed, and he shushed her with a grin before starting to remove his pyjamas. "If you're not careful, everyone in the bloody house will know what we're up to!"</p><p>"So?" She watched him as he reached into his bedside table, taking a moment to admire his naked body. He had freckles <em>everywhere</em>. They brought a smile to her face. His tattoo pulsed beautifully on his arm as he dug in the drawer, eventually pulling out a condom.</p><p>"So, I don't want to be interrupted!" He cocked an eye at her before sitting back down, sorting himself out before leaning back again, as if offering himself to Hermione. She laughed and climbed back onto his lap, letting him nestle his lips against her neck as she once again made herself comfortable.</p><p>"Everyone's probably fast asleep." She rocked against him once, moaning again at the delightful friction.</p><p>"You're fucking amazing, do you know that?" His voice was muffled by her skin, the vibrations of his voice sending electricity racing through her body, making her heart pound in an irregular rhythm. She felt light-headed, and Ron was driving her crazy. He lifted his head when she didn't respond to him. "Seriously, Hermione! I regret everything I ever said about you being boring and stuffy. You keep me on my toes every single fucking day! It's so exciting!"</p><p>"Why, thank you!" She laughed at the absurdity of them sitting there naked, his erection pressing against her stomach, yet they were having one of the most natural conversations. It put her at ease straight away. "I think you're pretty amazing too. And I'm thrilled you don't think I'm boring anymore. Boring is a passion killer!"</p><p>"Oh, you're definitely not going to kill my passion!" He gave her his lopsided grin, driving her wild. Suddenly, his gaze turned softer, and he lifted one hand off the bed to push the curls from her face. "Are you sure you want this?"</p><p>Hermione felt a surge of love for the man. She was pretty sure she was giving him all the right signals and that he could feel just how excited she was for him, yet he still wanted to check he had her consent.</p><p>"I want this more than anything else in the world," she responded, her heart pounding as she admired him. He looked even more handsome than before—his skin was flushed with passion, and his lips swollen from their kisses.</p><p>Finally, she broke their gaze and slid her hands into his hair, pulling his head firmly down and falling into a deep, hungry kiss with him. Every inch of their skin was touching. Her head was spinning, and yet she felt like she needed even more of him. She didn't break the kiss as she lifted her hips and carefully slid onto him.</p><p>Ron gasped against her lips, and she pressed her chest tighter against his. She didn't stop until he was buried to the hilt, and she let out a loud groan at how good it felt being connected to him in such an intimate way. She felt no nerves, only intense pleasure.</p><p>"I love you," she whispered against his lips.</p><p>"I love you too."</p><p>They stayed joined like this for a while—fingers exploring each other's skin. Hermione wanted to memorise his body, every line and scar. She wanted to join the dots of all his beautiful freckles and draw a picture against his skin.</p><p>But there'd be plenty of time for that later.</p><p>Their tongues danced against each other's, and Hermione felt Ron throb inside her. Both his hands slid under her backside, slowly encouraging her to move her hips. She moaned as she felt him react to her and slowly started to rock back against him.</p><p>Ron let out a guttural groan and tore his lips from hers, throwing his head back. His muscles rippled with the exertion of sitting with her like this without any support, but it only spurred Hermione on. She matched his groan, not caring now if the whole street heard her—this was nothing like she'd experienced before. They were so close together, the friction between their bodies only serving to heighten their pleasure, but she kept it slow for now, more to wind him up than anything else.</p><p>"Hermione," Ron warned, nipping at her jawline, and she laughed again, sliding a hand into his hair as the other braced against his shoulder.</p><p>"Do something about it then!" She pulled his head away from her skin and raised her eyebrows at him.</p><p>Suddenly Ron grabbed her, securing her with both hands on her waist before turning them over and pressing her into the bed. He found her entrance again quickly, slipping into her as his thumb found her clit. He thrust harder inside her, and Hermione threw her head back in pleasure.</p><p>"Oh, fuck!" He lifted his head as he heard her swear, and Hermione laughed at the exuberant look on his face. She rarely cursed, but he was driving her mental with his attention. "Fuck! Ron!" She gasped, her back arching, hips moving wantonly as her orgasm hit her, flooding her centre with warmth.</p><p>Ron slowed down his movements long enough to let her recover before picking up his pace again, moving against her frantically now. She encouraged him, feeling her pleasure build once again as she dragged her hands down his spine to cup his backside. He hit his peak suddenly, spilling inside her and pushing her to a second orgasm.</p><p>He finally collapsed onto the bed next to her, and Hermione rolled onto her side to watch him, a massive smile on her face. "How has it taken us six weeks to get to that?"</p><p>"Because I was stupid and hurt my hand. Oh, and Harry interrupted us when we were about to kiss! Let's just blame Harry!"</p><p>"Bloody Harry. If only he knew what he'd done!" She laughed and slid out of bed.</p><p>"You're not leaving me, are you?" Ron watched her, propping himself up on his elbows.</p><p>"Only to clean up!" She paused at his ensuite door, her eyebrows raised at him. "What? Did you think I was abandoning you?!"</p><p>"I just like to snuggle, that's all!" Ron tried to pout at her but failed as his grin took over his face.</p><p>"Me too. I'll be back, I promise." She shut the door behind her.</p><p>When she returned to the bedroom, Ron had turned off all of the lights apart from the one on his bedside table. He was already waiting for her under the duvet, and she was pretty sure he was still naked.</p><p>"Did you miss me?" She smiled as she made her way back over to the bed.</p><p>"Always." Ron was grinning, too, although he was finally starting to look sleepy.</p><p>"Good!" She climbed back into bed without pulling any of her clothes back on and reached over him to turn the light off. She kissed him once before getting settled, curling up to his side. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head.</p><p>"I love you." This time he said it first, and she smiled.</p><p>"I love you too!"</p><p>"You're not going to wake me up early, are you?" He mumbled as sleep started to steal him away from her.</p><p>"Maybe, but I promise I'll make it worth it." She sighed happily and closed her eyes, drifting off with the feel of her boyfriend's arm around her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. London</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ron wakes up next to Hermione and tries to avoid Ginny's constant questioning as they prepare for Harry's final concerts at the O2.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know there's already been an update from me today on my other story, and Lego House isn't due an update until Tuesday, but I have had this chapter written for a week or so now and it has just been yelling at me to share it with you. So here it is! I'm so fortunate for QuickSilverFox, be11atrixthestrange and adenei9 who have helped me with this and the following few chapters and Cheesy for testing the audience reaction. To say I've been anxious to post this has been an understatement.</p><p>I really hope you enjoy this. I'm sorry, please don't hate me. If you like this chapter, please let me know. If you don't, feel free to let me know but please remember to be nice, and be constructive. Stay safe xxxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ron was woken the following day by the sound of loud purring filling his ears. He had to admit it was a lot nicer than Sirius' usual brutal ways of getting him out of bed.</p><p>He forced his eyes open with a groan, only to be greeted by Crookshanks' ugly face peering down at him. For a moment, the sight of the strange-looking cat confused Ron until he felt someone shift in the bed next to him.</p><p>He lifted his head from his pillow eagerly, a broad smile appearing on his face as he caught sight of Hermione sitting up in bed and reading her book. At some point, she had pulled her pyjamas back on. He tried to push back the start of his complaints; as much as he wanted, they couldn't spend the whole day together in bed, naked.</p><p>Fortunately, his movements seemed to have distracted her from her book.</p><p>"Good morning, handsome." She peered over at him, a smile that matched his creeping over her face.</p><p>"Morning, beautiful." Propping himself up on one elbow, he gave her a soft, lingering kiss, his eyes drooping closed as his heart started to pound. Eventually, he pulled away and let his head drop into her lap, a content sigh escaping his lips as Hermione carded her fingers through his hair. He gazed up at her. "Did you sleep okay?"</p><p>"I slept really well. You are very warm and cuddly."</p><p>"That's something I'm very proud of. I'm glad <em>you</em> got a good night because you're a nightmare to sleep next to."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Hermione frowned, carefully closing her book and placing it on the bedside table.</p><p>"Well, you're a bed hog and spent most of the night in a starfish position with the duvet wrapped firmly around you. More than once, I woke up to find I was facing almost near-death by falling off the bed, <em>and</em> I was bloody freezing. I'm surprised I've not turned blue. And although you didn't snore last night, you're a chatty Cathy…"</p><p>She gasped. "I am not!"</p><p>"You are. I had a full-blown conversation with you at one point."</p><p>"What did I say?" Hermione's cheeks had turned bright red.</p><p>"Something about how I was the love of your life!" He grinned up at her, loving how easy it was to wind her up.</p><p>"Shut up!" She hit him, and he laughed. "I'll sleep by myself tonight if sharing a bed with me was so terrible!"</p><p>"No way." Ron rolled onto his side and buried his face against her stomach, breathing in her scent happily. His arm wrapped around her firmly, and he closed his eyes once more, his brain distracted by how easy it would be for him to fall asleep like this. "Last night was the best night of my life."</p><p>"Mine too," she sighed happily. Suddenly, her stomach let out a loud growl, causing Ron to laugh again.</p><p>"You hungry, sweetheart?"</p><p>"Yeah. Have been for a while, but I didn't want you to wake up to an empty bed and think I may have regretted last night."</p><p>"Nah, there's no way that I'd think that after the noises you were making!" Ron settled on his back again, opening his eyes so he could grin up at her. He felt giddy as she rolled her eyes at him. "But I'm hungry, too. How about I make us breakfast in bed?"</p><p>"In a moment..."</p><p>Ron felt the cold air hit his bare legs as Hermione slowly peeled back the duvet, her eyes greedily drinking him in as she exposed his body.</p><p>"Oh, so you're hungry for other things too, are you? Or are you just having a perv?" He yanked the quilt out of her hands and flattened it back against his body teasingly.</p><p>"I just appreciate the sight. You do have a lovely body."</p><p>"As do you," he said, following his words with a happy sigh. "Okay, if it's a nice view you want, I guess I could oblige."</p><p>Reluctantly, he started to wiggle out from under the warmth of the duvet and the comfort of her body. As soon as he was standing at the side of the bed, he cupped his hands over himself in a lame attempt at covering his modesty.</p><p>"That's not a view," Hermione pouted at him.</p><p>"You're so demanding!" Ron sighed dramatically, lifting his arms to flex his muscles.</p><p>Hermione erupted into a fit of giggles, disturbing Crookshanks, who leapt from the bed with a disgruntled meow. "That's much better."</p><p>Eventually, he dropped his arms and leaned over to kiss her. "Right, now you're satisfied, I will get dressed, then get you fed."</p><p>"Thank you, love."</p><p>As he located his discarded pyjamas from yesterday and started to pull them on, Hermione settled back at the head of the bed and grabbed her book from the side. Crookshanks immediately climbed back into her lap.</p><p>"How did that bloody cat get in, anyway?"</p><p>"He was scratching at the door, so I let him in as I got dressed. I had to get my book anyway, and he follows me around the house. Anyway, you've had me to yourself for the past six weeks, so it's only fair that you share."</p><p>"Well, he goes back outside when we're… you know… I'm not having him watching us." Ron pulled his t-shirt over his head.</p><p>"He doesn't know what we're up to," Hermione giggled.</p><p>"I don't care. It's weird having an audience. He always looks like he's judging me."</p><p>Now fully dressed, Ron moved back over to her to steal another kiss, ignoring the cat as he set his ugly, beady eyes on him. "I'll be back soon, don't let Crookshanks take my place completely." With one last kiss, he straightened up and left his room.</p><p>⁂</p><p>There was already noise in the kitchen when Ron entered, swearing loudly at the feel of the cold tiles on his feet. If Hermione were with him, he would be pretty sure that she would tell him off for not wearing his slippers. The radio was on, but the music playing was drowned out by the sound of Harry, Ginny, and Sirius chatting enthusiastically as they ate their breakfast.</p><p>"Good morning, Ronald!" Harry called out from the kitchen table. The dark-haired man was still dressed in his pyjamas, but he looked a lot happier than he had the night before. He was finally starting to get over losing his prized guitar, it seemed. "Did you sleep well?"</p><p>"So well," Ron stretched lazily before starting to refill the coffee machine. "It's good being back in my own bed."</p><p>Harry started to reply, but he was rudely interrupted by Ginny. "Did you get a lot of sleep, little Ronniekins?" She leaned forward, her eyes wide with curiosity. She looked like she was bursting to say something more. Ron could probably guess exactly what she was after, but he wasn't going to give it away that easily. She had to work for her gossip.</p><p>"Yeah, like I just said, plenty of sleep, good being back in my own bed, etc."</p><p>"Oh, good. I was wondering if you knew where Hermione is? I knocked on her door this morning <em>and </em>sent her a text, but she hasn't replied to me. I wanted to make sure she was still okay to come with me to Stamford Bridge this morning."</p><p>"I'm sure she'll show her face when she's hungry. She's probably just making the most of not having such an early start." He threw a smile at his sister before preparing some porridge.</p><p>"That's a lot of breakfast for one person…" Ron looked up, just in time to catch her staring pointedly at the two bowls in front of him.</p><p>"Yeah, well, I'm hungry. Home prepared food beats hotel stuff every time." He filled both bowls before finding a tray and loading it up. "Plus, I work hard, keeping you two famous people safe. Bloody celebrities!"</p><p>"You say that like you don't enjoy your job," Sirius inputted with a smirk. "Those celebrities pay your wage."</p><p>"Harry does. My sister doesn't," Ron laughed.</p><p>"Can you tell Hermione we're leaving at 10?"</p><p>Ron rolled his eyes as Harry shushed Ginny. "Sure, sure, if I see her, I will. But, I'm sure she knows already." He picked up the tray and threw a smug smile at Ginny, just to wind her up even more before heading upstairs with their food.</p><p>⁂</p><p>"So I need to remember that you're the best at making porridge." Hermione let her spoon fall into her empty bowl and sat back with a satisfied smile on her face.</p><p>"Good?"</p><p>"Really good!"</p><p>"You can reward me if you want?" Ron threw a cheeky smile at her.</p><p>She considered it for a moment, and he thought his luck might be in until she took a glimpse at the time on her watch and sighed. "I don't think we have time. I don't want you to be late."</p><p>"So I guess I'm showering on my own?" He pouted over at her.</p><p>"Yeah, I think you are. But I'll make up for it tonight, I promise!" She passed him her empty bowl then started to move out of bed. "I'll pop by and see you before you leave, though?"</p><p>"Okay, I guess."</p><p>Resigned to getting ready by himself, Ron watched her leave his bedroom before letting out a sigh. He finished his own breakfast before grabbing a quick shower and dressing in his usual jeans and t-shirt ensemble. Finally satisfied with his appearance, he settled at his desk to check his emails before he had to drive Harry to the venue.</p><p>He didn't have time to get into his work as he felt a pair of hands slide over his eyes. He grinned, leaning back in his desk chair to rest his head back against her.</p><p>"Are you going to miss me today?" Hermione kissed the top of his head.</p><p>"Yeah, but you're not going to be gone too long, are you?" He turned around, grabbing her quickly and pulling her into his lap. He rubbed his nose against her warm cheek, being careful not to ruin her makeup.</p><p>"I doubt Ginny's meeting will take longer than an hour, so we'll be back at the venue before you even have a chance to notice that I'm not there."</p><p>"Remind me why you need to go?" His hand slipped under her top, stroking the small of her back.</p><p>"Because Harry is busy and she wants some moral support. And Ginny is a good friend now, so I don't want to let her down."</p><p>"There's nothing I need to be worried about, is there?" Ron frowned, his eyes searching Hermione's for an answer.</p><p>"You're adorable. I wish I had a sibling, and that we were as close as you two." She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "No, there's absolutely nothing that you need to be worried about. Six weeks is just a long time away from work, that's all."</p><p>"Well, it probably doesn't help that she's been sat on her backside all that time!"</p><p>"She's been going to the gym, which is more than I can say for you!" Hermione poked his tummy softly.</p><p>"I didn't hear you complain about my body earlier," Ron retorted.</p><p>Before she could open her mouth to bicker back, he drew his arms tighter around her and pulled her in for a lingering kiss, letting himself melt into her. There was nothing more he wanted to do than pull her back to his bed, lock the door and forget about work and all their other commitments. He wanted to spend the day completely naked with her. Even though it had been less than twelve hours, he yearned for a repeat performance of last night to taste her skin again and let her delightful moans fill his ears.</p><p>His inner desires, combined with the delightful pressure of her lips on his, sent all his blood circulating south, and he started to grow hard against the constraints of his jeans. He knew if they carried on, it would be far too difficult to stop. He ignored the urge to push her hands down his body so she could sort him out and instead pulled away from her reluctantly. He rested his forehead against hers, feeling the warmth of her skin against his as he panted for breath.</p><p>"Tonight… you're going to stay in here, right?"</p><p>"Yeah… I think so…" Ron was satisfied to see that Hermione was just as flustered as he was. "Or mine… I don't care as long as I'm with you."</p><p>"We'll see where we end up. I might just grab you in the corridor and have my wicked way with you in a meeting room."</p><p>"You wouldn't!" Hermione looked aghast, seemingly forgetting about her almost letting him feel her up while they were on shift in Glasgow only a couple of days ago.</p><p>Ron chuckled, "Well, now I won't."</p><p>She pressed one last kiss against his lips. "Thank you. I should let you get to work."</p><p>He let out a small groan at the loss of contact as she slid off his lap. "I guess I don't want to get fired for being distracted. I do have important people to drive around, you know!"</p><p>"Okay, handsome." As soon as he was standing, Hermione leaned in and gave him one last long kiss. Ron appreciated this, he was finding it really difficult to pull himself away from her today, but eventually, they had to part. "I'll text you when I get to the stadium and let you know where you can find me."</p><p>"I know where to find you, working hard in the green room with Sirius!" Ron smirked as Hermione laughed. "I love you."</p><p>"I love you too, handsome." With one last look, she disappeared from his room.</p><p>He let out a heavy sigh, already missing her. He shut his laptop and gathered all his things before leaving too, resisting the urge to check in on her one last time as he passed her bedroom and headed downstairs.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Ron whistled as he traversed the secret corridors of the O2. This was his favourite venue on the list of the ones they'd visited this tour. He'd just been to take a nose at the public areas—crowds were already filling the plazas, grabbing mid-afternoon drinks and food before they started to queue to get into the arena. The atmosphere was electric, adding to his brilliant mood and putting a spring in his step.</p><p>He entered the backstage area, which was already a hub of activity. He spotted Colin, giving him a quick wave before heading over to him.</p><p>"Alright, mate." Ron high-fived Colin. "How's it going here?"</p><p>"So, we unpacked everything last night, including some of the boxes we don't go into just in case, but still no sign of the guitar. So this morning, I had one of the maintenance men add an extra lock to the kit box, and only I have the keys at the moment."</p><p>"The maintenance guy wouldn't have a master key?"</p><p>"No, I went out and bought the locks myself to make sure," Colin replied, a proud smile on his face.</p><p>"Good work. Get the receipts to Hermione, and she'll reimburse you." Ron clapped his hand down on the man's shoulder. "Do you think you can get a copy made for me to have too?"</p><p>"Sure, I'll do one for Sirius tomorrow, too."</p><p>"Brilliant! Go get your break if you want." Ron settled into a seat next to the kit boxes. "I'll keep an eye on things."</p><p>He watched the blonde go, then dug his phone out of his pocket. After checking through the news briefly, his eyes caught sight of the time. He frowned—it was starting to get late in the afternoon, and he still hadn't heard from Hermione. Not that it surprised him all that much, she had probably checked in to the venue hours ago and had stowed herself away in the green room, her permanent home, and was plotting something with Sirius. When she got her head stuck in work, it was challenging to distract her.</p><p>His finger gravitated to his walkie talkie. Luckily, Colin had given him the perfect excuse to get in touch with her. He switched to the management channel, then pressed the button to talk.</p><p>"Hermione? Just a heads up. I've said to Colin that you'll refund him for some locks he bought for the kit boxes this morning. He might be on his way to find you."</p><p>A deafening silence followed his message, and although it might have only been ten seconds before he got a reply, a million thoughts drifted through his head, mainly about Hermione. He couldn't wait to hear her voice again.</p><p>The static filled his ears, and his heart skipped a beat in anticipation.</p><p>"I was just about to get in touch with you." It was Sirius, and Ron's stomach lurched uncomfortably. "Hermione hasn't turned up yet. Neither has Ginny. I was going to ask you where they were."</p><p>"Ginny had an appointment at Stamford Bridge, but that was at eleven." Ron frowned as he replied. "They should be back by now."</p><p>"Well, Hermione's kit is still on the side, and Harry hasn't seen Ginny, so…" Sirius trailed off.</p><p>Ron took a deep breath, trying to ignore the feeling of his heart pounding steadily in his chest.</p><p>Sirius must have noticed the silence, so he spoke again. "I'm sure it's nothing. Ginny has a soft spot for shopping, so they must have lost track of time. If Hermione weren't so reliable, she'd be in serious trouble." He laughed in an attempt to defuse the tension.</p><p>Ron bit back the retort that was itching to burst from his mouth. He had been in trouble with Sirius for much more minor things. Instead, he tried to concentrate on the excuse Sirius had given, and not that his usually dependable girlfriend had failed to show up for work.</p><p>His mind was working overtime, trying to piece together what might have happened to Hermione and Ginny whilst also working on a plan to sort things out. He switched to his team channel and called on his most reliable security guy to come and take his place. As he waited for Oliver to turn up, Ron scribbled a quick note to Colin to apologise.</p><p>As soon as his relief turned up, he hurried up to the green room, his fingers fumbling with his phone. He dialled Hermione's number as he traversed the maze of corridors, eager to hear her cheerful voice so that he could put all this confusion to rest. It was just a mistake, after all.</p><p>Instead, his call went straight through to her answering machine. Ron slowed down, taking a deep breath to calm his voice. The last thing he wanted was to startle her when she finally listened to it.</p><p>"Heya, love. I'm just giving you a call to see where you are. We'll be starting pre-checks soon, and I don't know your part of the job well enough to cover for you with Sirius. Give me a call. There's plenty of time for me to come and pick you two up if you need it. I love you."</p><p>He hung up and dialled Ginny next but got the same response from her phone. Absolutely nothing. He left a similar message on her answering machine, then let himself into the green room.</p><p>Sirius and Harry looked up as soon as he entered, and Ron closed the door firmly behind him. The last thing he wanted right now was for the rest of the crew to think something was up. There was still a chance that this was all a massive understanding, and the show must still go on.</p><p>"What's going on, Ron?" Harry had a frown on his face, so it was apparent to Ron Sirius had already told him something was up. He wasn't sure what he should tell his best friend, and Ron had half a mind to keep the truth from him so as not to stress him out.</p><p>"We need to start pre-checks soon. I don't suppose you've heard from Ginny and Hermione?"</p><p>"No. Sirius has already been asking where they are. Ginny did mention wanting to pick some things up from central, though, so maybe she'd forgotten to tell Hermione? You know what traffic can get like in London, especially on a Friday so maybe they're just stuck somewhere. I'll drop Ginny a text now."</p><p>"Thanks, mate." Ron felt a small amount of relief. Harry had provided a perfect reason they hadn't made it to the venue. The girls were probably just out of signal range, which is why they weren't answering their calls. At any minute, Hermione would enter the room, linked arm in arm with Ginny and ready to get started on her tasks. "I'll go do my checks, and I'm sure they'll join us soon. I'll be back up here in time for the team meeting, and we can take the piss out of them."</p><p>He threw a look at Sirius, who gave him a slight nod to tell him he'd done the right thing. Chewing his lip nervously, Ron left the green room again, repeating the mantra in his head that Hermione was okay. He just hoped his work would distract him enough from his worrying.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Half an hour later, Ron was briefing the door staff when he noticed Sirius waiting for him. He finished his meeting quickly before hurrying over to his boss.</p><p>"Have you heard anything?" Ron didn't wait for the man to start speaking. He was desperate for news.</p><p>"No, nothing." Sirius folded his arms across his chest. "After you left the green room and Harry went to his dressing room, I felt so concerned about the girls that I decided to call the car company."</p><p>Ron nodded in understanding, his stomach twisting painfully as his lunch turned to liquid.</p><p>Sirius continued. "The car was logged picking them up from the house an hour before Ginny's appointment, at the scheduled time. But twenty minutes away from Stamford Bridge, the tracking system went offline. So then I rang the team manager at Chelsea, and Ginny didn't turn up for her meeting. The guy was confused because apparently, someone that sounded like me called and said she wouldn't be attending and asked for a reschedule.</p><p>"I'm worried, Ron, that something serious has happened to them. The car company is going to try and get in touch with the driver, and I'm waiting for them to send me a picture of him, but I think we should get the police…"</p><p>Sirius' words faded out as the room grew dark. The beat of Ron's heart pounding in his chest pulsed his vision with every strum. It thundered in his ears, blocking out all his other senses. He was vaguely aware of nausea bubbling low in his stomach, but at the same time, a wave of red anger coursed through every vein in his body. Throw up or punch someone; Ron needed to do something.</p><p>It was cruel enough that he had already lost a sibling. His family had been through enough. But now Ginny had been taken, tangling Hermione up in all this bullshit, too. It was too much for him to comprehend. He looked left, then right, searching for a solution in the gloom.</p><p>"Ron? Ron?" Sirius must have asked him a question. He was calling his name persistently, and eventually, Ron tuned into it. He shook his head, needing to focus so he could be helpful.</p><p>"Sorry, what did you say?" He ran his hand over his face, trying to pull his thoughts together.</p><p>"Do you have <em>any</em> idea of who it could be?"</p><p>"Yeah. I'm surprised you don't already know. The person who has been sending the mail. The man Hermione saw in Manchester. The guy who stole the guitar. Surely, they're all the same bloke?"</p><p>Sirius sighed, "I was hoping it wouldn't be the case. That we were just dealing with a string of coincidences rather than a massive threat, but I think you're right."</p><p>"What should we do?"</p><p>"I can't cancel the concert. It's too late, the doors are about to open, and I don't think Harry would be happy letting everyone down so late. He knows something's up. So I want you to stay with him. Do not leave his side, okay? Even if you have to stand on that stage with him. Keep him calm, but try not to let him know what we suspect. We can deal with his annoyance at us later.</p><p>In the meantime, I'm going to ring the police, give them all the information we have."</p><p>Without a second word, Sirius turned and left, the sound of his shoes marching a staccato across the concrete floor and accentuating the anger they both felt. Ron felt like he'd been dealt an impossible task. How the hell was he supposed to handle Harry right now when the two women he loved the most were in danger.</p><p>Ron headed in the opposite direction to Sirius. He needed to get to the green room to look after Harry. But he decided to ring Hermione one more time as he walked.</p><p>Every movement felt like he was wading through cement and his mind felt detached from his body. It all felt surreal. A wave of despair rode over him as thoughts about what could be happening invaded his mind again. He couldn't lose either of them. Ginny was his favourite sibling, and Ron still had so much to learn about Hermione. They'd only just fallen in love with each other, and he didn't want any of that to stop any time soon.</p><p>He typed in Hermione's number, his fingers shaking with every click. He recited it from heart then raised the phone to his ear. He counted each ring, his concern for her and Ginny rising with the sound of the dial tone. Ron took a deep breath, hoping it would steady him, but instead, it just made him feel even sicker.</p><p>Just as he thought it would cut to Hermione's answering machine again, someone answered the call. Ron felt a lurch of hope.</p><p>But, instead of hearing Hermione or Ginny's voice, it was answered by an eloquent sounding voice that belonged to a man.</p><p>"Who the fuck are you?" Ron started, but he was immediately cut off.</p><p>"I think you need to listen to me carefully…"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. The Kidnapper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hermione and Ginny get ready for their day and leave the house for Ginny's appointment at Stamford Bridge. However, things take a turn for the worse halfway there.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Man, you all are THIRSTY for the drama. I absolutely loved your reactions to the last chapter. I am so glad I threw an early one your way. Lucky for you, the drama continues but you'll finally get to find which little critter is behind everything that has been happening to Harry and pals. I've LOVED seeing who you think it might be. I hope the reveal does not disappoint.</p><p>Thanks as always goes to Adenei, Be11a and Magpie for betaing this for me, and Cheesy for being my audience reaction gauge. You guys are HILARIOUS, and I love you so hard!</p><p>If you enjoy this chapter, please let me know and if you don't, also let me know but remember to be kind and be constructive. Be safe, and have a lovely week xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Hermione listened to the sound of the boys and Sirius leaving the house for the day. Everything Harry and Ron did was always <em>loud</em> and enthusiastic, but it brought a smile to her face. It meant that they cared and were passionate about what they were doing. There had been a low buzz of excitement in the house all morning, probably because the tour was almost over, and they were starting the two most significant dates on the billing.</p><p><em>If this is what they're like today, how will they be tomorrow?</em> Hermione thought to herself as she tried to ignore the pang of longing she was already feeling for Ron. The front door slammed, signalling that they were finally on their way.</p><p>It was amazing how close they'd grown over the space of the tour, and especially last night. It was a feeling she delighted in. She did not expect this, but it was a happy surprise, although it had been hard to part from him this morning. Hermione had wanted nothing more than to pull him back into bed and keep him there all day.</p><p>But she wasn't a fool. She was well aware that she was a difficult person to get on with, and she worried that eventually, the habits Ron had hated at the beginning of her contract would soon start to annoy him again. A couple of hours apart would be healthy for them, and she was confident they would be even stronger for it.</p><p>Absence makes the heart grow fonder, after all.</p><p>Hermione turned her attention from pining over her boyfriend to her work. There was a long list of emails she'd been ignoring that she knew she had to get through, and, eventually, the routine of reading them and filing them into the correct folders for later distracted her. She was back in the zone.</p><p>A quiet knock disturbed her from her work, and as Hermione checked the time on the bottom of her screen, she realised an hour had passed. She turned her desk chair towards her door.</p><p>"Come in," Hermione called.</p><p>Ginny entered the room, a suspicious smile on her freckled face. Whilst they ate breakfast in bed that morning, Ron had warned Hermione that his sister had been fishing for information about the two of them, and by the mischievous glint in Ginny's eyes, she hadn't given up.</p><p>Although she and Ron had agreed that they would go public with their relationship and that Hermione could start letting Ginny know about them whilst they were out and about today, Hermione wasn't willing just to hand the information on a silver platter. Where was the fun in that? Ginny had to work for it.</p><p>"Hiya, are you ready to go?" Ginny was wearing her usual pair of jeans, but instead of an old t-shirt, she was wearing the smart top she had borrowed from Hermione. Yesterday, Ginny had confided in her that she felt nervous about asking for her place on the team back after her unscheduled break, especially as Ginny's manager wasn't sure it would work out as well as they'd hoped.</p><p>"Yep, all ready." Hermione closed her laptop's lid and grabbed the nearest jumper, pulling it over her head before finding her bag. After checking she had everything she needed, she followed Ginny out of the room. "Is the car here yet?"</p><p>"No, not yet. But it will be shortly, I'm sure."</p><p>Hermione started to run through the security checks Ron had taught her. He had been hesitant about the fact that she and Ginny were going to be the last ones to leave the house that morning, although she had reminded him that the housekeeper was due at some point, and it would be a nightmare if the poor woman couldn't get in. Nevertheless, she checked all the windows in the house before heading to the foyer to prepare the security system. Just as she finished typing the last digits of the code into the number pad near the front door, the intercom sounded.</p><p>Ginny answered it before Hermione could get to it. "Hello?"</p><p>"Car for Misses Weasley and Granger?"</p><p>Hermione joined Ginny at the small screen, wanting to take over to ensure she and Ginny stayed safe. The break-in, topped with Harry's guitar going missing, had heightened her paranoia, although she'd turned down Ron's offer of asking one of his crew to accompany them to the football stadium. She eyed the grainy image of the man, feeling a strange sense of familiarity as she took in his face.</p><p>"Can I see your ID please?"</p><p>The man did as Hermione asked. "M'name is John Morgan if you can't read it," he chuckled. "Do you need to see my security clearance too? Although my boss said he emailed it to you yesterday."</p><p>The pass confirmed John's name and that he belonged to the company Hermione had booked the car with, but there was still a feeling of hesitancy bubbling low in her belly that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She was about to say yes when Ginny interrupted.</p><p>"No, thank you," the redhead laughed and pushed Hermione gently out of the way. "We're just feeling extra cautious at the moment. You'll be fine, I'm sure."</p><p>Ginny buzzed the gate open then gave Hermione another push towards the front door. Hermione couldn't stop the smile from spreading over her face. She knew she needed to relax a bit more—they were safe now they were at home. She quickly stepped back to press the button on the security pad to ensure she had set all the alarms correctly before following Ginny out of the house, ensuring the door was double-locked behind them.</p><p>A sleek black town car was pulling up to the front door just as they stepped out of the house. As soon as it stopped, a tall, pale man dressed in a black suit with a white shirt stepped out and hurried around to the closest passenger side door.</p><p>As she watched him, Hermione felt another rush of familiarity, and as he lifted his head to smile at her, the feeling deepened suddenly. She was adamant she knew the face from somewhere, but she was sure she would have remembered his hair—it was so blonde, it was almost white. She scolded herself—she was just paranoid given everything else that was going on.</p><p>He smiled at her as he helped her climb into the car. "Stamford Bridge, right?"</p><p>"Yes, the appointment is at eleven. Will we have enough time?" Hermione fastened her seat belt.</p><p>"Oh, plenty!" He shut the door before hurrying around to assist Ginny. He instantly continued what he was saying, " Traffic is non-existent this morning. I checked before I left the depot. Am I to hang around to take you to the O2 after? You're going to the big gig tonight?"</p><p>"Yeah, although tomorrow night will be even bigger. It's the last night of the tour."</p><p>"Ah, brilliant. I'm not a fan of Harry's music, I hope you don't mind me saying, but I heard he's a good man."</p><p>Something about the driver's friendliness put Hermione at ease, and she was about to reply when Ginny yet again butted in as she fastened her seatbelt. "He's a brilliant guy," she gushed. "He adores his fans and loves performing!"</p><p>"So I've heard." The man smiled at them through the rearview mirror then flicked the radio on, obviously to give them privacy.</p><p>Ginny instantly turned towards Hermione, an expectant look in her eyes. Hermione couldn't resist rolling her eyes.</p><p>"Yes, Ginny?" She tried her best to keep her face neutral.</p><p>"I tried to find you this morning, but you weren't in your room."</p><p>"Was I not? Did you check my balcony?" Hermione felt the corners of her mouth twitch, and she struggled to stop the smile as it crept over her face. If only Ginny knew Hermione had spent the morning perving on her brother's naked body.</p><p>"Why would you be out on your balcony?</p><p>"I like to have my morning coffee out there sometimes. It catches the sun."</p><p>"So that's where you were, then? Even though you didn't come down to get yourself coffee. You weren't, oh I don't know, maybe in my brother's room—who just so happens to share the same balcony with you."</p><p>Hermione could feel the instant burn of her cheeks as she struggled to remain composed. Ginny was digging for the gossip right at the tip of Hermione's tongue, but she was desperate to drag this out for as long as she could, just to annoy her friend. She turned her head quickly to look out of the car window as a giggle escaped her lips.</p><p>Ginny persisted, "Come on, Hermione, you know you can't hide from me forever. We still have fifty minutes left in this car, and there is no escape."</p><p>Ginny pulled at Hermione's arm, forcing the girl to look back at her. Instantly, the red head's eyes lit up in glee, getting all the information she needed from the look on Hermione's face. Ginny squealed and clapped her hands together. "I knew it!"</p><p>"I've not confirmed or denied anything yet," Hermione protested, although she let Ginny stretch across the back seat in an attempt to hug her.</p><p>"I can't wait for you to be my sister-in-law," Ginny gushed.</p><p>"We've only just started going out, Ginny. It's only been six weeks, and you're already getting us hitched?!"</p><p>"Six weeks? Wait, so you two got together in Manchester?"</p><p>"Kind of?" Hermione shrugged. "We had a night out that felt like a date, but it wasn't one, and Harry interrupted us before we could even hold hands!"</p><p>Ginny threw her head back and cackled. "When he said you two were acting shifty that night, I had no idea he'd practically cock-blocked you!" She started to tap out a text on her phone. "I need to tell Harry and Sirius. They were adamant you had only started seeing each other in the last week or so."</p><p>"Wait!" Hermione reached over, placing her hand on Ginny's phone. "Wouldn't it be better to tell them to their faces? I'll make sure Ron and I are there so that we can confirm it! We weren't going to make a big announcement or anything, but I'd be willing to break that to show the boys that you were right."</p><p>"You'd do that for me?"</p><p>"Yes, and only you. Because now I'm seeing your brother, I will need you on my side to help me get the other Weasley siblings to love me too."</p><p>"They will adore you, I promise!"</p><p>The car drifted into a comfortable silence as it joined the M1 and started to make its way towards London. Hermione rested her head against the glass, watching the familiar scenery as it raced past. She let her thoughts wander to Ginny's implication that they could eventually be sisters-in-law. Her stomach squirmed excitedly at the idea. Hermione would love to be a Weasley. Even though she hadn't even met the rest of the family, she was pretty sure they would accept her with open arms. Could she say the same for her parents? Her mum and dad had high expectations for her, and Hermione always assumed that it would be the same for any potential partner.</p><p>It wouldn't matter, she decided, if they liked him or not. She <em>loved</em> him, and that was the most important part, anyway.</p><p>Half an hour passed before Ginny broke the silence with a wistful sigh. "There's Regents Park. I miss London so much."</p><p>"Where is your flat?"</p><p>"In Putney, so not too far from the stadium. I was lucky—Harry invested in an apartment for me to live close to work while we were training. Otherwise, I would have had to find a place outside of London. I wouldn't have been able to afford anything else."</p><p>"I thought footballers were loaded?" Hermione frowned.</p><p>"<em>Male</em> footballers are loaded. We don't get paid half as much as they do, even if we play internationally."</p><p>"Ugh, you must hate that."</p><p>"Yep! They've set up an equal pay commission, and I've been campaigning with the rest of the team to make a difference. I'm lucky I'm in a fortunate position, but it seems unless you have a rich partner, you're going to struggle."</p><p>Hermione was about to offer her help to Ginny and her campaign when she noticed the redhead frown. "What's wrong?"</p><p>"This isn't the way." Ginny turned her head, craning out of the window.</p><p>"Maybe there's a detour?"</p><p>"Not along here. I checked the route this morning—Harry teased me about it because I was stressed out. I thought it might help comfort me. We should have turned right at the bottom of Regent's Park, but we're heading towards King's Cross, not Chelsea."</p><p>The panicked look on Ginny's face was enough for Hermione to take her seriously. She leaned forward in her seat and tapped on the clear plastic divider that separated the driver from his passengers.</p><p>"Hey, John. Are you going the right way?"</p><p>"It's just a small detour," the driver lifted his head, and a pair of cold, grey eyes flashed at the girls. "We'll still make it on time."</p><p>"Are you sure? Because Ginny said we're going in the complete opposite direction to where we need to be."</p><p>"You'll soon find out."</p><p>Without taking his eyes off the road, John lifted his hand and pressed the locking button on the doors. The sound of the locks sealing themselves filled Hermione with a sense of dread. Simultaneously, the device attached to the dashboard that showed their route through London turned off.</p><p>"Wh-what's going on?" Hermione sat back in her seat, throwing a concerned look at Ginny.</p><p>Her heart was pounding against her ribcage, making her feel sick. Ginny's hand stretched across the back of the car, and Hermione tangled their fingers together, although it provided little comfort.</p><p>"As I said—you'll soon find out."</p><p>The car took a series of quick turns throwing both girl's sense of direction entirely off-balance. Even Ginny couldn't work out where in London they were as the city's familiar landmarks disappeared from view. Their grips on each other's hands tightened. Every time Hermione opened her mouth to try and implore the driver to let them know what's going on, he shot her a dark look.</p><p>Eventually, the car pulled up at a dilapidated house. Looking around, Hermione could see that the street didn't look any better. Everything was falling apart, and someone had abandoned a mattress in the front garden of the house opposite them. She reached in her bag and tried to pull her phone out without John noticing. If she could just call or text Ron, he'll be able to work out that something was wrong. But there was no signal.</p><p>"I wouldn't even bother trying. The same device that switched off the tracker," John tapped the small screen attached to his dashboard, "blocked your mobile signal too. Nobody will be able to trace you while you're in this car. Now, before my friends come and help me get you out, I want you to hand over all your stuff."</p><p>Hermione pulled her bag tighter to her body, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ginny do the same. "No, no way. You can't do this to us. We've done nothing wrong."</p><p>"You've done something wrong by association. Now hand them over, or I'll force it out of your hands."</p><p>The sun chose that moment to emerge from behind a cloud, illuminating a flash of metal in John's hand. Hermione recognised it straight away as a pocket knife. This man was serious. Hesitantly, she slid her phone back into her bag and passed it through the small gap in the divider. As soon as John nabbed it, she tangled her fingers with Ginny's again, desperate to get some sort of comfort from her friend.</p><p>"There, that wasn't so hard, was it? Now stay where you are, please." He started to slide out of the car. "I'll be right back for you in a moment. Just need to make sure your room is nice and comfortable. Oh, the doors have got child locks on them, so don't even think about trying to escape."</p><p>The car door slammed shut, and John headed up the stairs. Hermione heard the sound of the doors locking again and couldn't help the whimper that escaped her lips.</p><p>As soon as he was out of sight, Ginny unfastened her seat belt then turned in her seat, wriggling back against Hermione to make some space. Without warning, she kicked at the windows, but nothing happened. She kicked again and again and again, relentlessly trying to make some sort of impact on the glass.</p><p>"Ginny, it's no good."</p><p>Seeing her friend trying to escape snapped Hermione into action. She pulled at all the handles and locks on her door, but neither would budge.</p><p>"We need to try something else," Ginny sighed.</p><p>They pulled at the plastic divider, then tried to pull back the back seats forward so that they could access the boot, but nothing budged.</p><p>"He's thought of everything," Hermione fought to catch her breath. "There's no escape."</p><p>With every failed attempt to escape, Hermione's heart started to pound harder in her chest. <em>Why was he doing this to them? What did he hope to gain from kidnapping them?</em> She began to hammer desperately on the window, yelling as loud as she could. Ginny joined in, but it was hopeless. The neighbourhood was utterly deserted.</p><p>⁂</p><p>John wasn't gone long, maybe only five minutes, but it felt like a lifetime for the girls locked in the backseat of his car. They instantly shut up when they saw him leave the house, followed this time by two burly looking friends. The smart-looking drivers uniform was gone, and instead, they were wearing dark jeans and leather jackets. They also had dark gloves on, despite the early summer heat.</p><p>They pulled open Ginny's door first.</p><p>"Out!" John commanded, with a menacing look on his face.</p><p>At first, Ginny did as John told her, pivoting her body to slide out of the car. Hermione whimpered as her friend left her. As soon as the redhead's feet touched the ground, she kicked one of John's companions before trying to make a run for it. Despite the fact he reacted slowly, the friend soon grabbed her and pushed her towards the house, pinning her arms behind her back.</p><p>Hermione cowered against her side of the car, even though she knew it was futile trying to avoid their grabbing arms. Before she could try and kick out, the door behind her was yanked open, and everything went black.</p><p>⁂</p><p>When Hermione came around, she could tell she was lying down. Carefully, she opened one eye, but the room spun around her, forcing her to clamp it shut again. She felt sick, so she focused on trying to breathe through her nose.</p><p>"Hermione?" She felt Ginny nudge her softly. For a moment, she wondered why her friend was in bed with her. "Hermione, please wake up."</p><p>Suddenly, Hermione's eyes flew open as she remembered what had happened. She tried to groan, but her mouth was taped shut. It was getting more difficult to breathe, and she was scared she might have a panic attack. She couldn't remember hitting her head, only the feel of the breeze on her back as her captor opened the car door. But everything was sore—as if she'd fought with Mike Tyson for twenty rounds and lost every single one. Even blinking hurt.</p><p>Finally, the room stopped spinning, and Hermione took in their surroundings. Sunlight escaped from either side of the dirty curtains, illuminating the room. The walls looked mouldy, and there was a faint scent of decay. They were lying on a large bed; at least, there was enough space for Hermione and Ginny to lie side by side on the mattress. Aside from the tape over her mouth, restraints tied her hands to the headboard. She tried to wriggle out of her bindings, but the rope burned against her wrists. Instinctively, she curled up into a ball.</p><p>She tried to speak. She wanted to reassure Ginny that everything would be okay, but the tape stopped her words.</p><p>"Oh, Hermione, thank God." Ginny's voice trembled with terror. "I thought you might… I thought you might have been…"</p><p>A sudden rage seemed to wash over the petite redhead, and she started to scream at the top of her lungs. It must have been cathartic because, by the time she turned back to Hermione, she looked calmer.</p><p>"They tried to tape my mouth shut, but I bit their hand. I think I drew blood. You didn't stand a chance since you were unconscious. Are you okay?"</p><p>Hermione craned her neck to see Ginny and nodded her head once.</p><p>"You look so pale. I wouldn't be surprised if you have a concussion, you took a massive tumble, and the sound of your head hitting the tarmac will be in my nightmares forever. I was almost sick. I'm surprised you didn't throw up," Ginny wretched. "Listen, don't speak. We need to save our energy and work out how to get out of here, okay?"</p><p>⁂</p><p>Hermione couldn't tell how long they'd been lying there, but the light behind the curtains had started to fade, so it must have been for most of the afternoon.</p><p>"Maybe we've been forgotten abo—"</p><p>The door in the room was yanked open, and the lights suddenly came on, blinding the girls. John strutted in, followed by his two companions. He had an annoyed look on his face as he slammed the mobile phones down on the mattress.</p><p>"Someone is desperate to get hold of you two. These phones won't shut up, and they're doing my head in. I'd destroy them, but I need them for the next stage of my plan."</p><p>"That's my brother," Ginny shouted. "He's a big, strong security guard and probably tracing the calls right now."</p><p>"Hardly," John scoffed. "They probably think you two got distracted shopping in Central London. The concert will be starting soon, so Hermione will get in trouble for missing all her jobs. You," he sneered at Ginny, "won't be missed since you spend most of your time sitting on your backside. For a professional footballer, you're a lazy piece of shit.</p><p>"You see, I've been watching your small group for a while. I've followed you up and down the country and came to every concert. It's amazing what you can get up to with a fake VIP pass and a low profile. I followed you all backstage, and I've been in Harry's dressing room. I've even been watching you in your most intimate moments. Heck, I probably know you better than you know yourselves. I could write a whole book about Harry and his friends and sell it to that Rita woman."</p><p>"Why?" Ginny frowned.</p><p>"Because, Ginevra Weasley, your boyfriend Harry is a waste of space. He has everything that I could want, and yet he does not appreciate it. You said earlier that Harry adores his fans, but you couldn't be further from the truth. He doesn't care about me," the man spat at the girls, barely missing Hermione's foot.</p><p>Hermione noticed oddly their shoes and socks were missing, but if she even tried to comprehend why her head started to throb painfully.</p><p>John continued his monologue. "You see, I lost my parents at a similar time to Harry. We were the same age, although we lived in different cities, yet they died in very similar circumstances. But even though Sirius Black is a distant <em>blood</em> relation of mine, him being my first cousin once removed, he chose Harry to look after and take in. To be fair to him, he probably didn't even know I existed. We're part of one of those crazy, prominent estranged families. But still.</p><p>"I had to go and live with an abusive aunt, who took me in begrudgingly. Children were never in her plan, and she resented me. Bella surrounded herself with crazy friends—there was always drugs and booze around, and they encouraged me into a life of crime. It was all pretty miserable, come to think about it. And then I saw posters of Harry everywhere, rubbing it in that he had a nice life and mine was a pile of shit."</p><p>John started pacing the floor, and Hermione finally realised why she recognised him. He <em>was</em> the man she saw in Manchester and therefore the same one who stole the guitar, but that man had been dark-haired. He moved in the same way and sounded the same as him; now he wasn't using a fake accent. She was desperate to quiz him about it and throw him off his speech, but the tape still stopped her from speaking. Frustrated, she tuned back into him.</p><p>"So I tried to reach out to Harry, but time after time, he ignored me. My letters probably got a little more aggressive, and sometimes I tried pretending to be other people to see if that got his attention too. Not even his measly PA could be bothered to write back to me. So can you blame me for going to such lengths in trying to get even the smallest slice of what I deserve? Harry ignored me for six years since he got famous. I've had to suffer in silence for a lot longer than that. But no more.</p><p>"You two have nothing to worry about. So long as Harry does what he's told, and that stupid brother of yours doesn't interfere, I will return at least one of you safely. If I get Sirius, too, I might even let both of you go without hurting a pretty hair on either of your heads. But if Sirius doesn't come, I can go after him once I've gotten rid of Harry."</p><p>One of the phones lying on the bed started to ring, flashing and vibrating across the mattress. John's mood changed quickly, and he grabbed a nearby wooden chair and threw it across the room, where it smashed against the wall. Both girls flinched and retreated as far up the bed as their constraints would allow.</p><p>"I guess it's time for me to speak to someone about you two. The sooner we get it sorted, the sooner you can get on with your lives." He picked up the flashing phone and answered it, putting it straight onto speaker phone. "Hello?"</p><p>"Who the fuck are you?"</p><p>Hermione's heart started to hammer in her heart as Ron's voice filled the room. She would never see him again, and she didn't get a chance to tell him since he left her that morning just how much she loved him. She would never get an opportunity to meet the rest of his family or introduce him to her parents. A tear escaped her eye, and she tried to focus on breathing in and out of her nose before she had a panic attack. With the tape of her mouth and her already pounding head, it would be disastrous.</p><p>"I think you need to listen to me carefully," John sneered. "Your sister and the spare girl are safe for now, but I refuse to speak to the hired goon. Get Harry and Sirius and find somewhere where they can speak to me uninterrupted. Tell them Draco wishes to speak to them. Sirius will know who that is. You have twenty minutes, and if you don't call me back by then, I'll hurt one of the girls."</p><p>He didn't give Ron a chance to answer again. Draco hung up and pocketed the phone. He contemplated the spare one that sat on the bed before picking it up and throwing it across the room, watching it smash the same way the chair did.</p><p>Satisfied, he leaned over the bed and pulled the tape from Hermione's mouth. Her eyes watered, and she groaned in pain as her lips started to burn, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of crying out.</p><p>"I want them to hear your screams when they call back." Draco turned to the friend on his left. "Goyle, give them the water and loosen their constraints; they won't be going anywhere. I'll be back when Harry calls."</p><p>The man Draco referred to as Goyle threw two bottles of water at their feet. "Help me, Crabbe."</p><p>The two goons cut off their restraints, leaving the rope around their wrists before leaving the room. It wasn't until Hermione heard the sound of a key locking the door that she finally let herself cry out in pain and fear.</p><p>She felt hopeless.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. The Investigation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ron takes drastic action to ensure the safety of Harry and Sirius, and the investigation continues into the night. The arrival of a friendly face brings the small group some much-needed relief.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Torture your readers Tuesday! I loved all your thoughts and opinions about last week's chapter and your reactions to finally finding out that Draco was behind it all. There were a lot of options - obvious like Snape, Tom Riddle etc and then the less obvious, like Romilda but in the end, Draco had the most believable story out of them all. I'm glad you thought it was good.</p><p>Adenei, Magpie, Be11a and Cheesy did a lot of work on this chapter. When I sent them my first version, it was only 4k words long. But I think you'll agree the additions were worth it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. If you do, please let me know and if you don't also let me know, but remember to be kind and constructive. Have a lovely Tuesday (but maybe line up some fluff to read after this chapter 😐 xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>Draco terminated the call abruptly, leaving Ron staring at the blank screen.</p><p>"No!" He tried to call him back instantly, his fingers stumbling across the screen, but Draco must have turned the phone off as soon as he'd hung up. Ron's heart started to pulse in his ears, drowning out the noise of the venue. Everything around him began to turn dark, and he struggled to stay focused on the task at hand.</p><p><em>Who the hell is this Draco guy? </em>he thought to himself. <em>And why the fuck haven't Harry and Sirius said anything about him to me before?</em></p><p>Ron took a deep breath, letting the grey corridor come back into focus. He needed to shift into action. He couldn't waste time mulling over who this idiot was; he just knew he had to do something about it. And quickly.</p><p>There was absolutely no way he could let Harry's concert continue. Every minute he was standing on stage would be more exposure. Ron couldn't completely rule out this Draco guy doing something even more drastic than kidnapping. Although he had Hermione and Ginny as leverage, it could just be a distraction to allow him time to set up something a lot worse.</p><p>No, Ron would have to make an executive decision and get everything cancelled. He checked his watch and realised he still had a bit of time before the support act was due to go on, so they could easily use the excuse that Harry was sick and avoid any awkward questions a last minute postponement might create.</p><p>He didn't have time to chase after Sirius. Ron needed to get to Harry and make sure he was still safe. As if moving of their own accord, his legs started to pick up the pace, and he began to jog towards the green room. As he did, he switched his walkie to the general channel.</p><p>"This is a message to all teams. Stop all preparations. Harry is ill, so we're postponing tonight's concert, probably tomorrow's too. Sloper, Kirke, can you meet me outside of the green room as soon as possible?"</p><p>Ron didn't wait for a reply as he took off at a full sprint towards the room. He didn't want Harry out of his sight until they'd caught Draco and the girls were safe.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Sloper and Kirke were already outside the green room, waiting anxiously for further instructions as Ron skidded to a stop in front of them.</p><p>"Alright, you two," Ron panted, fighting to catch his breath. "Something has come up. I can't tell you what, but I have reason to believe that Sirius and Harry might be at risk. I'm going to have my eyes on Harry, so I want you two to do a perimeter check. If you spot Sirius, escort him straight up here. Otherwise, I need you to be on the lookout for a tall guy, pale, gaunt-looking. He's got dark hair. Usually sporting a baseball cap and a merch tee—well, he was the time Hermione saw him. Is that all clear?"</p><p>The pair nodded, then walked off. Ron said a small prayer of thanks that he had a good team behind him. Sloper and Kirke should have been helping to guard the equipment. After the incident in Glasgow, Ron had added extra permanent guards to the backstage area. But this was a more critical task. Colin would be starting to pack up now at the news of the postponement, so the space needed less guarding. If the other guitars went missing, then so be it. They were all insured anyway.</p><p>As soon as his team were out of the way, Ron let out a heavy sigh and turned towards the green room door. He reached out for the handle, but the slight tremor in his hand caused him to pause. Ron was dreading what came next. He'd let Harry down, couldn't keep him or the girls safe, and now he had to inform his best friend of the direness of the situation. Part of him just wanted to turn away, to walk away from all of this and find somewhere to hide until he knew Hermione and Ginny were safe again.</p><p>But he couldn't leave his friend not knowing what was going on, and since Draco had spoken to Ron directly, he felt the burden settle solely on his shoulders. He took a steadying breath—he just needed to rip the plaster off and get it done. He switched to best friend mode before turning the handle.</p><p>Carefully, Ron pushed open the door, grimacing as Harry leapt to his feet as soon as he caught sight of him.</p><p>"Ron? What's going on? What's happened? Someone just came up and said that you'd cancelled the concert because I was sick, but I'm <em>not</em> sick, so what the hell is happening? Have you heard from Ginny or Hermione yet?" The dark-haired man looked distraught; he had pulled his hair in every direction, a habit he had developed when he was a kid and still processing the death of his parents. Harry's face was deathly pale, and Ron felt a lurch of nerves as he shut the door behind him quietly.</p><p>"Harry, I—" his words caught in his throat, but he swallowed them down and tried again. "Hermione and Ginny went missing earlier today. Turns out they… they've been kidnapped." His voice broke with emotion as he struggled to gain composure. "Some guy called Draco—"</p><p>Earlier, Ron had made a promise to himself that he wouldn't cry. Not because of some stupid macho attempt to save face; he had never been afraid to show his emotions. But he wasn't the one who was suffering through all this—Ginny and Hermione were. He had to stay strong for them, Harry and his parents, and he knew that if he didn't, he might not survive this without losing his mind.</p><p>"Who the fuck is Draco?!" Harry looked as if he was having trouble processing what Ron had just told him. "And what has that got to do with Ginny and Hermione?!"</p><p>Ron cleared his throat and was just about to continue telling Harry what was going on when Sirius barged in, causing the door to slam against the wall with a massive, angry thunk. He stormed into the room.</p><p>"What the fuck do you think you're doing just cancelling tonight's concert like that? What gives you the right?" Sirius rushed towards Ron, his face red with anger. "Do you know how much that's going to cost us?!"</p><p>"I don't care," Ron gritted his teeth, although the tips of his ears were burning red hot at the confrontation. He hadn't even considered that Sirius would be this annoyed with him before doing it without his permission, but now Sirius' rage was right in front of him, Ron found he didn't even care. His boss was constantly telling him off for flying off the handle or misbehaving, but if he had taken a minute to just <em>think</em> about what might be going on, he would realise he'd done it for the good of everyone else. The comment about the cost just added insult to injury, and Ron took a deep breath to compose himself before speaking again.</p><p>"Look, will you just shut up for a second and actually listen to me?! You pay me to do a job, so I did it! When you left me, I tried calling Hermione again, but someone else answered the phone."</p><p>"Wait… what?" Sirius frowned. "Who answered it? Why didn't you tell me straight away?"</p><p>Ron felt like pulling out his hair. He didn't want to keep going around in circles just because Sirius wouldn't listen to him.</p><p>"Because I had reason to believe that you and Harry might be in danger, so I <em>had</em> to do something. It's my job, and it was the only way I believed I could keep you both safe. I sent Sloper and Kirke to do a quick perimeter check and then come and look for you so that nothing could happen to you. As soon as I sent my message on the team channel, I came up here so I could look after Harry!"</p><p>"Will someone please tell me what is going on? I'm fed up with being kept in the dark!"</p><p>Suddenly, Harry was standing in between them, quelling any remaining fight between the two men. He had clenched his fists so hard, his knuckles were turning white, and he had a determined look on his face.</p><p>Ron backed away, rubbing his face with his hand and trying to make sense out of the millions of thoughts and worries racing through his mind.</p><p>"Who is Draco?"</p><p>His gaze shifted between Sirius and Harry, looking for any sort of recollection as he mentioned the name. Harry was staring vaguely back at him whilst a frown appeared on Sirius' face. Ron tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for one of them to say something. He was about to lose his shit again when Sirius finally spoke up.</p><p>"He is a distant relative, maybe a cousin removed or something like that, I don't know. I haven't spoken to my family for years; they're low-lives, and I want nothing to do with them." Sirius moved away from the others and leaned against the table on the far wall of the room. He ran a hand through his wavy, brown hair. "Around the same time James and Lily died, Draco's parents had a similar accident and unfortunately passed as well. As far as I know, Draco went to live with my cousin Bella—his aunt.</p><p>"There used to be a lot of money in the family, but they squandered it away on drugs and bad property decisions. I cut all ties with my family because they were a bunch of racist bigots who thought too highly of themselves. They've always been jealous of my success, though." Sirius frowned. "I still don't see what this has to do with Ginny and Hermione going missing?"</p><p>Ron fixed his eyes on Harry; it was vital for him to see his friend's reaction as he delivered the next piece of the puzzle. When he spoke, he made sure he was slow and clear so that nothing could be misunderstood.</p><p>"Draco was the one who kidnapped them. He said he wants to speak to you two and that Ginny and Hermione will be safe as long as we listen to what he says. He doesn't want to speak to me. I need to call him back." He checked his watch; his twenty minutes were almost up. "He… he called Hermione a spare."</p><p>His stomach churned as he thought about what that might mean. Did Draco believe that because Hermione wasn't famous like Ginny, her life meant less? Would she be Draco's first target for revenge if they didn't follow his instructions? Ron had no intention of finding out; he would do everything Draco asked of them, even if it meant putting himself in harm's way.</p><p>"Okay," Harry let out a shaky breath. "Shall we call him, then?"</p><p>"I guess," Ron shrugged as he settled on the sofa. He played with his phone for a moment, building up the courage before unlocking it and quickly pressing the green button to call Hermione's number before he lost his nerve. He immediately put it on speakerphone and placed it on the coffee table as they waited for the call to connect. It felt like forever, and Ron was about to lean forward and check the service bars when he finally heard it ring. Harry and Sirius soon joined him, Harry taking a seat next to him on the sofa, while Sirius paced the small space in front of them.</p><p>Finally, Draco answered. "Precisely twenty minutes. That's good work. This is the sort of cooperation I expect from you moving forward. I take it you're with Sirius and Harry?"</p><p>"We're here," Sirius interrupted before Ron could open his mouth.</p><p>"You say we, but it could just be you in the room, Sirius Black, if that's who you really are?" Draco spat.</p><p>Harry cleared his throat. "I… I'm here too," he stuttered.</p><p>"And you know it's me, Draco. Just like I know your parents' names were Lucius and Narcissa, and that at the end of the entrance hall in your aunt's house is an awful picture of my mother wearing a ridiculous black hat. When you were small, you refused to walk past it."</p><p>"Okay, alright." Draco cleared his throat. In the background of the call, Ron could hear the sound of movement. One of the girls, he couldn't tell if it was Ginny or Hermione, howled in pain, and Ron felt the bile creep up his oesophagus uncomfortably.</p><p>"I don't want to harm either of these girls. At least, not gravely. But they're entitled pieces of shit, so I doubt they'll come out of this completely unscathed. They're both beautiful girls, and it would be so sad if something were to ruin that. I just wanted to give you some assurance that they're both alive and being looked after really well, all things considered. I'm a good host, and I'm kind and courteous, unlike you two.</p><p>"My plan is simple, really—just a straight off trade. The two girls for Harry," Draco continued to drawl. "Pretty easy, right? I still have to make some arrangements, so I need you to keep this phone on. Don't bother getting the police involved; they won't be able to find me, so it will be pointless. It'll only make things worse. I'll be in touch."</p><p>Draco hung up, leaving the three men staring at the phone. Harry was the first person to break the silence.</p><p>"I'll go."</p><p>Ron turned his head sharply to glare at his best friend. He was paler than before and shaking visibly but had a look of resolve on his face. Ron resisted the urge to roll his eyes at him—he'd always had a bit of a hero complex about him.</p><p>"No, you won't," Sirius and Ron said simultaneously.</p><p>"I've already called the police, and they're on the way. I think both of you agree that they absolutely should be involved, and we will not be giving in to any more of Draco's demands. The girls wouldn't want that. Now, I will go and wait out front for them," Sirius continued. "You two are <em>not</em> to leave this room until I come back. Do I make myself clear? Harry's safety is paramount."</p><p>"Fine," Ron replied. "But you have to take Kirke and Sloper with you. If you're part of Draco's family, then we have to assume that you're at risk, too."</p><p>Once Sirius had left, Ron reclined back on the sofa, suddenly feeling exhausted. Continuous mental images of Draco torturing Hermione and Ginny, or worse, were running through his brain, each vision making him feel more helpless than before. He just wanted all of this over now and his two favourite women safe and within eyesight.</p><p>He closed his eyes, although he knew there was no way he'd be able to nap. They had a long night ahead of them.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Given their recent experiences with the police and their inability to find and stop Draco before things got too out of hand, Ron wasn't expecting much from the two constables that visited them at the arena. However, when one of them took a seat in the chair adjacent to the coffee table in the green room before holding out his hand, Ron was instantly assured that <em>finally,</em> they were taking things seriously.</p><p>"I'm Kingsley Shacklebolt." The man had dark skin and a slow, deep and comforting voice. His handshake was firm, and Ron noted, with great interest, that he had a single gold hoop earring. "I'm going to be heading up the investigation from the Metropolitan police side of things."</p><p>Once he had finished shaking everyone's hands, he nodded to his partner, who pulled out a notepad and pen. Kingsley sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands pressed together. "Tell me what has been happening, right from the start."</p><p>Ron took the lead in recounting the story, with input from Harry and Sirius. He started with the awful fan mail they'd received all those weeks ago, then outlined Ginny and Hermione's plans for the day. Finally, he detailed what Sirius and Draco discussed during the last call. He left it to Sirius to recount his family history.</p><p>Kingsley let out a sharp puff of air. "That's a hell of a lot of coincidences. Unfortunately, because there are so many police forces involved, nobody can connect the dots. I want to give you my assurance now that we're taking this seriously. So, this is what is going to happen next.</p><p>"I will ring a colleague of mine in the Hertfordshire constabulary. Since this crosses borders, we have to get them involved. I have his personal details, and I'm confident he's the man for the job, so I will get him out of bed if we have to. As Draco picked the girls up from the house in Watford, I think it's best we set up a base of operations there and start piecing the puzzle together. Is that okay?"</p><p>Sirius nodded. "Whatever you need. There's plenty of space in the house, and I think Ron would agree we would feel a lot safer there, too."</p><p>Ron started to reply, but then a thought hit him. "The girls were heading to London," he frowned, turning towards Kingsley. "What if they're still in the city somewhere? I want to stay close, just in case."</p><p>"I completely understand. Unfortunately, there's nothing more we can do here." Kingsley and his partner started to pack up his things. "The venue will want to close up as soon as your kit is back on your vans, and you'll be a lot more comfortable at home."</p><p>"Okay, I guess." Ron still felt hesitant, but given Harry and Sirius were both in agreement, he decided to go along with it for now. He made a vow to himself that he would do everything he could to be the first person Hermione saw when she finally escaped or was rescued.</p><p>"Come on," Sirius held his hand out, and when Ron glanced at him, he noticed a soft look in his eyes. "Kingsley is right. We can't stay here anyway. I'll drive us home."</p><p>Ron fished the car keys out of his pocket and placed them in Sirirus' hand before pushing himself out of the sofa. Slowly, as if in a daze, he followed everyone out of the building and towards the car park. As he moved, he focused on the back of Harry's head—at least he was still able to keep his best friend safe.</p><p>It wasn't until Sirius was pulling the car out of the car park that Ron spoke again.</p><p>"I need to ring my mum," his voice hitched in his throat. "Her and dad need to know. They should be here, just… just in case."</p><p>He rested his head against the glass and allowed the cool material to comfort him slightly. He closed his eyes, playing out how the conversation would go in his head. The thought of telling his mum that someone had kidnapped Ginny, that she was about to lose another child filled him with dread, and there was no way he could cushion that blow.</p><p>"I can do that, Ron. Once we get home, I'll call your parents, okay? Hermione's too." Sirius' voice was soft, although it did nothing to calm him down. However, he managed a feeble nod in response.</p><p>Ron forced his eyes open and pulled his mobile out of his pocket, keeping a close eye on it all the way home. He willed Draco to call again or for Hermione to get her phone back somehow and ring him to tell him she'd miraculously escaped. Ron was desperate for any information, even a snippet of detail that might help him work out how he could get the girls out of there. He even contemplated trying to ring Draco himself and demand he release them. But the back of Kingsley's head sat in the front of the car alongside Sirius stopped him. The man had warned them about attempting to make contact, however compelling that might be, and Ron really didn't want to do anything to put Ginny and Hermione in further jeopardy.</p><p>But he just wanted his girlfriend and his sister home.</p><p>⁂</p><p>A squad car <em>and</em> a police van were already waiting outside the house for them when they got back, their lights illuminating the entire street.</p><p>"Great. The whole neighbourhood is going to know that something is up now," Sirius sighed as he signalled for the waiting policemen to follow him up the drive.</p><p>"A necessary evil, I'm afraid, Mr Black." Kingsley was unfastening his seatbelt and sliding out of the passenger seat as soon as Sirius applied the handbrake.</p><p>Ron followed the rest of them into the house and tried to be as helpful as possible in getting them set up and running. He made coffee, sought out extension leads, and when he'd finished that, he double-checked that Hermione had locked every window and door before she'd left that morning. He was paranoid that something else might have happened whilst they were out for the day, even though he'd taught her all the processes she had to follow to secure the house.</p><p>He felt so exhausted; it was as if concrete encased each of his limbs. His silent phone in his pocket weighed him down, and he realised his thoughts hadn't drifted far from it the entire time he was going about his tasks in the house. Finally, he returned to the kitchen, where the police were finishing their set-up.</p><p>Kingsley spotted Ron as he reentered the room and headed over to him, a gnarled looking man following him. The new stranger was wearing a suit, and his face was laced with scars, making it look as if it had been carved from wood.</p><p>"Ron, this is Alastor, the investigator in charge on the Hertfordshire side of things. Alastor, this is Ronald—he's in charge of Harry's security detail, and, for some reason, Draco has been calling Ron's phone to make contact."</p><p>Alastor shook Ron's hand once. "I need your phone, lad."</p><p>"My phone?" Ron dug it out of his pocket and stared at it, a frown crossing over his face. "But, what if Hermione rings because she's managed to escape? I need to be able to speak to her."</p><p>"If she does call, we need our tracking systems and the ability to listen in to the calls," Alastor growled. His voice was low but strangely assertive. Now he was standing closer; Ron noticed a huge chunk was missing from the man's nose. "This is our only connection to Malfoy, and therefore our only chance to track him. Please unlock it for us, and turn any security settings you may have off to make it easier. We'll give the device back to you as soon as our investigations are over."</p><p>Ron hadn't noticed that Harry had crept near them until the dark-haired man placed a hand on his arm. "Just do as they ask. Please, Ron," he pleaded.</p><p>Ron knew they were right, and he wanted to do everything he could to help the investigation, but it felt weird handing his phone over to the strangers. His whole relationship with Hermione was documented on his mobile, and even though it was probably backed up to the Cloud, he was still reluctant to relinquish his hold on it. It was the only thing still tying her to him.</p><p>He sighed and quickly typed in his passcode, his cheeks burning bright red as the background picture of him and Hermione kissing appeared on the screen, visible to Harry and the waiting officer. He quickly changed the settings then handed it over, instantly noticing the loss of the weight of it in his hand. It was as if he were suddenly missing a limb.</p><p>"R-Ron, you're—I didn't realise," Harry frowned, and Ron turned his head quickly to stare at his friend. He could see a softer look there now as if suddenly, they were on the same level of understanding of how much pain they were both going through and why the situation seemed to be affecting Ron so much. "I mean, Sirius and I had our suspicions, but every time I asked her, Ginny told me nothing was going on. How long?"</p><p>"Since Manchester, or thereabouts, I guess." He watched the phone as Alastor carried it towards the rest of the officers in the kitchen. "All of my photos of her and me are on that phone."</p><p>"Well, it's great you two finally sorted yourselves out. It's better than all that sexual tension hanging between you."</p><p>"Not really," Ron shrugged, "not if she's been tangled up in all this shit because of us."</p><p>"Ginny asked her to go, and Hermione would have gone even if the two of you weren't together because that's the sort of girl Hermione is. She always wants to help." Harry patted his shoulder tentatively. "They'll be okay. They have to be."</p><p>Ron didn't answer him. He chewed his lower lip as he watched the officers go about their investigations. He couldn't sit still or be passive in this anymore. He needed to do something, or he might go crazy sitting and waiting.</p><p>"I just need to go and get some things," Ron trailed off before wandering away from Harry, leaving his friend staring at him confused.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Ron located his laptop, still switched on and waiting on his desk, but he couldn't find anything else he needed. But he knew where the items would be. Quietly, he entered Hermione's bedroom, trying to ignore the pangs of pain he felt as he caught a whiff of her perfume or when his eyes settled on her neat and tidily made bed. Crookshanks meowed at him, but Ron waved it off.</p><p>"I already feel guilty, cat," he scolded, "but your mum will forgive me for invading her space."</p><p>He snuck to her desk as if somehow she'd be able to sense he was in there.</p><p>"I'm so sorry for snooping, sweetheart." He spoke, more to himself as he rooted around the drawers, finally locating the handful of maps she liked to keep, just in case. As he shut the drawer, he caught sight of the little mini-Ron smiling up at him next to a photo of Hermione with her parents. The Lego figure caught him by surprise and brought with it a wave of emotion. He wanted to cry out, to kick out in anger at how <em>unfair</em> it was that Draco had kidnapped Hermione. She'd never hurt a fly, at least, not intentionally.</p><p>But instead, Ron let out a shaky breath and dug mini-Hermione out of his pocket before setting her carefully next to his counterpart. "At least you two get to be together," he grumbled.</p><p>He glanced at the bed briefly, where the cat was still eyeing him suspiciously.</p><p>"Tell you what, Crookshanks, you and me will make a pact. If Hermione comes back and she's safe, then we will try and get on a bit better, for her sake. Deal? I'll even let you stay in the room when we have sex, as long as you promise not to judge me about it." The cat let out a loud meow as if in agreement. "Fucking hell, I'm talking to a cat. I've finally lost it." He rubbed at his eyes. He was so tired.</p><p>Finally, he turned back to the desk and snatched the copy of the day's itinerary for both Harry and Ginny from where Hermione had pinned it above her laptop before checking for anything else he might need. Confident he had all he could get, he headed downstairs. He'd thought about working in her room, but the constant reminder of her absence propelled him away.</p><p>Ron contemplated keeping his investigations to himself, but he knew if he discovered anything remarkable, the police would need to know straight away. Tentatively, he ventured into the kitchen and located a spare place on the counter before spreading out the first map, an AZ of London and the outer zones. He opened his laptop and accessed google maps before checking to see what way the driver might have taken to get to Ginny's appointment.</p><p>At some point, Kingsley ventured over to him, taking great interest in what Ron was doing. "Good idea, lad." He pressed a large hand against Ron's shoulder. "We have our own investigators doing something similar, but I reckon you have an insider knowledge none of my men will have."</p><p>Ron kept himself busy all night. Once he'd finished drawing out potential radiuses all over Hermione's maps, he started trying to look up whether the Malfoys or his family members owned any property or business in the areas. However, his access was limited, and searches were mainly fruitless, which Ron found frustrating.</p><p>Once he'd run out of things to Google or routes to plan onto maps, he reviewed his notes and tried to work out <em>why</em> all of this was happening. But nothing seemed to make sense. Why target Harry just because his parents had died? What was Sirius supposed to do, leave Harry to be a homeless orphan?</p><p>Ron hated the silence the most. At some points in the night, when all of the activity in the kitchen had momentarily stopped, when his eyes felt as if they were full of grit and he wanted nothing more to haul himself up to his bed, Ron felt at his lowest. If he let the quiet wash over him, the negative thoughts started to sneak in. But Ron refused to let them take over completely. Instead, he pushed them back and attacked his personal investigations with more vigour. He was determined to help solve this.</p><p>As the night carried on, it brought no hope that the police were any closer to finding Ginny and Hermione. Ron was just making his fourth cup of coffee when he heard the doorbell ring. Carefully but quickly, he slid his mug next to the pile of maps and notes and hurried through to the front door, his heart pounding. He wasn't naive enough to think that the girls were just going to walk in, not after their hopeless investigations, but he knew what was waiting on the other side of the door would at least provide him with a small amount of comfort.</p><p>He yanked it open, feeling relief wash over him as he set eyes on the short, plump but kindly-looking woman, even if it was temporary. He was aware of Harry and Kingsley behind him, but he didn't care. Suddenly, but unashamedly, tears were starting to form in his eyes.</p><p>"Mum…" he cried desperately.</p><p>"Oh, love." She held out her arms for him, and he stooped low so that she could gather him up in them. He rested his head on her shoulder and allowed his dad and Harry to join them. Molly Weasley rocked all four of them softly as she held them tightly.</p><p>Nobody let go of each other until Ron had finished crying. He took a step back, untangling himself from his parents and Harry before wiping his eyes. "I should introduce you to everyone. Come in."</p><p>He led the way, moving around the small cluster of police officers and introducing them one by one to his parents. Over the night, Ron had made sure to learn every one of their names. He didn't want any of them to feel less critical to the investigation because of their official rank.</p><p>Dismayed that the investigators had been running off a supply of coffee and crisps, Molly snapped into action. She opened the fridge door, and Ron was slightly relieved to see that the housekeeper had made sure they were fully stocked. He moved his findings out of the way, stacking them neatly on the side before helping her cook up a big breakfast for everyone.</p><p>Although he didn't feel like eating, Ron forced down a bacon sandwich, knowing he needed some form of energy so that he could drag himself through the day. With his tummy full and feeling a little bit better for it, he turned his attention back to pouring over the many maps he'd scribbled on, Harry and his dad now at his side. He thought, with a pang of sadness, that Hermione was going to be so mad when she finally set eyes on how he'd defaced her possessions if she ever got a chance to reprimand him.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Around mid-morning, the mood in the house changed. One of the officers had found a list of buildings owned by the Lestranges—Draco's aunt and uncle. Just as they were about to gather to discuss this information, the sound of Ron's phone ringing broke through the rush of activity. The whole room froze, and Ron exchanged a look with Harry. His best friend's eyes matched his own thoughts. This could be good news, but also, it could be downright awful. Ron pushed his way to the front of the crowd of policemen, Harry hot on his heels.</p><p>Alastor stopped them, a finger placed on his lips to signal for everyone to stay quiet. Ron had never seen someone command such attention from just one gesture. With a nod of approval from the chief investigator, Sirius stepped forward.</p><p>"Draco," Sirius answered curtly.</p><p>"Ah, there's my dear cousin. How are you? Did you sleep well?" he chuckled derisively through the phone. "I hope you're all refreshed and ready to deal with whatever the day throws at you."</p><p>Ron's stomach churned at Draco's bright tone. <em>How the hell can he sound so happy considering what he's doing?</em></p><p>"We're all okay here." Sirius gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into tight fists at his sides.</p><p>"Brilliant. That is good news. Now, since you've been following my instructions, you'll be ready to trade the girls for Harry. Don't worry, don't worry, they're doing wonderfully. We even fed them this morning. Here listen."</p><p>The sound of the phone exchanging owners replaced Draco's voice, and Ron held his breath.</p><p>"Ron? Are you there?" Hermione's voice cut through the speaker. She was talking fast as if she knew she'd soon run out of time. "I don't know where we are, but we noticed we were going the wrong way after Regent's Park. We can't be far—" She was interrupted by the sound of a loud slap.</p><p>"No, get off her, you git!" The sound of the girls crying out echoed around the room. Before Ron could even step towards the phone, he felt a pair of firm hands grab him by the arm and hold him securely in place. He glanced back, and Kingsley shook his head at him.</p><p>"Well, that was a stupid thing to do, <em>Hermione</em>," Draco sneered. "And for whoever just had that stupid outburst, I think I'll make her pay for it." Hermione whimpered, and Ron felt sick. "Honestly, I don't know how you cope with these two—you'd think they would have lost their voices, the amount of yelling they've been doing all night. They're very aggressive, that's for sure. So, if you're ready for the trade, then please let me know, and I will text you the next steps."</p><p>"We're ready," Sirius grimaced, his eyes fixed firmly on Harry. "We'll do whatever it takes."</p><p>"Perfect. I'll speak to you later." Draco hung up, leaving only silence in his wake.</p><p>Ron felt Kingsley relinquish his grip on him and stride over to Alastor. The pair conferred in low voices, consulting a computer screen and comparing it to the list of buildings they'd found before the call. It felt like the world ground to a halt, and it wasn't until the edges of his vision started black that Ron realised he was holding his breath.</p><p>Finally, Alastor lifted his head and addressed the room. "We think we have a possible location. Although Malfoy has been trying to block the signal from where he's hiding, we picked up a ping from the nearest cell tower. That's given us a ten-mile radius, and luckily for us, the Lestranges own a building in Tower Hamlets, right in the centre of the ping. The area isn't great, usually reserved for druggies and squatters, but I'm fairly confident that's where he's hiding."</p><p>Ron's heart started to speed up. He felt like he knew the area well. He'd spent a lot of time staring at it on one of his maps during the early hours of the morning. He wouldn't usually venture into it, but they were always talking about it on the news. "So what happens now?"</p><p>"Now, Mr Weasley," Alastor smiled, although the look it created was more scary than comforting. "We go and try to rescue the girls."</p><p>Suddenly, the investigators in the room snapped into action. Police officers picked up their phones, shouting instructions down them. Ron grabbed his map and took them over to Alastor. Even though he thought his information would be less than useless, he'd be damned if he just sat back and kept anything vital from them. Now there was hope that the police may rescue the girls; he wanted to do everything he could to get them back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. The Rescue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hermione &amp; Ginny plot their escape whilst the police race towards Draco's house.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Good morning (afternoon, evening or night depending on when you're reading this). I hope this chapter finds you all well. There's more AN at the end. I didn't want to distract you all with my babble. Enjoy x</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>As soon as Draco yanked the phone from her hands, Hermione knew she was in trouble. The blonde gave the nod, and Crabbe landed a massive slap on her cheek. It was a pain like she had never felt before—the goon had ham-like hands, and he walloped her so hard, it felt like her brain shook in her skull. The room spun for what felt like ages afterwards. Ten minutes later, with the door firmly locked behind them, she could still feel the sting of it radiating over her cheek.</p><p>It hadn't been the first time Draco had commanded one of his henchmen to hurt them since they had kidnapped them, and Hermione was pretty sure it wouldn't be the last. The only thing that scared her now was whether the next blow might be a step too far.</p><p>Hermione and Ginny's night locked in the room had been rough. Just as the light behind the curtains was growing dimmer, Draco had visited them once more and delivered a tray of beige, tasteless food and two bottles of water before locking them back up. Nobody had bothered to check on them until the first phone call of the morning.</p><p>The food had been dry, but they had forced it down anyway so that they'd have some sort of energy, just in case they needed it. But Ginny and Hermione had stowed the water, sipping on it periodically throughout the night to make it last. Neither of them had wanted to take on too much liquid. With no bathroom facilities, they had to resort to using the corner of the room furthest away from the bed, with the other watching out, just in case someone ventured in. It was degrading, and even though it had only been twenty-four hours since they'd left the house, Hermione felt disgusting and dirty.</p><p>Sleep that night had come in short bursts. They'd agreed to take shifts, although they remained pressed together whilst the other slept. Every squeak and whisper in the house made them twitch, and it felt as if they were constantly on edge.</p><p>"Come on. Let me check out the damage."</p><p>Ginny coaxed Hermione to turn around and look at her. Ginny's face had grown paler than before, and dark circles lay under her eyes. Her hair, usually well-groomed, was a tangled mess.</p><p>"My ear is ringing," Hermione complained, letting out a sharp gasp as Ginny's finger gently probed along her cheekbone.</p><p>"Well, I'm not surprised. Hopefully, it's not broken, but it's pretty swollen, so we can't rule that out."</p><p>"I was stupid."</p><p>"No, you were brave. I would have done the same."</p><p>"I knew Harry and Ron would have been listening, even though it was Sirius talking on the phone, and I wanted to try and give them as much information as possible," Hermione chewed her dry lip. "But hearing him call out, that killed me, Gin."</p><p>"I know." The redhead wrapped her arms around Hermione in a quick hug. "What do you think they're doing right now?"</p><p>"Ron is probably blaming himself whilst simultaneously trying to run the investigation all alone. And Harry is preparing to give himself up."</p><p>Ginny laughed, although it fell short. Neither of them was really in the mood to make a joke about the situation. "Of course he is; he'd do anything to make sure we're safe."</p><p>Hermione felt a rise of emotion and pushed herself away from her friend so that she couldn't see her cry.</p><p>"I need to get some light in the room. I can't sit in the darkness anymore."</p><p>She walked over to the curtains and yanked them back, wincing as the grey light hit her eyes.</p><p>Without the heavy barrier of the material, Hermione was surprised to find out that it was raining outside. She peered through the dirty glass, trying to find any hint of where in London they may be if they were still even in the city. The weather seemed to match the mood in the room.</p><p>"Any sign of where we might be?" Ginny appeared at her side suddenly, making Hermione jump. She used her sleeve to try and rub some of the dust off the window, but it was no good. "I tried to keep track after I noticed we were going in the wrong direction, but I lost my bearings. He took so many turns. I thought I knew London well, but…" she trailed off with a sigh.</p><p>"What are we going to do, Ginny?"</p><p>"They will be trying to find a way, I promise. They'll have the police there, and they'll be looking through all of the evidence you and Ron collected. You've made it easy for them." Ginny wrapped her arms around Hermione again.</p><p>"But we thought he had dark hair. My description of Draco is all wrong. I can't believe I couldn't tell it was a wig."</p><p>"That's because you didn't expect the guy to be wearing one."</p><p>Hermione was about to argue back again when she heard a creak on the stairs. "Someone's coming, quick!"</p><p>The girls sprung apart, quickly pulling the curtains back over the window before climbing into their positions on the bed. The effort caused Hermione's head to swim, and she closed her eyes, burying her head against the inadequate blanket as she willed the nausea to go away. It wasn't that she didn't want Draco to see that she had been ill, but she didn't think she could handle the lingering scent of vomit in the room. They didn't know how much longer he would keep them locked up.</p><p>The men took their time, but eventually, Draco unlocked the door and strutted back in, flanked by his henchmen.</p><p>"Wakey, wakey!" He turned the light on, letting the ugly, naked bulb cast a yellow glow over them. "It's almost time for you to go on your next adventure. Fingers crossed, as long as you both behave, you'll be back in your beds, and I'll have Harry all to my—"</p><p>At the sound of her boyfriend's name, Ginny cried out in anger and kicked violently at the air. She made an attempt to launch herself at Draco, but one of his goons caught hold of her and pushed her back against the bed. Hermione winced as the girl caught her head on the bed frame.</p><p>"Why are you doing this to Harry?" Ginny shrieked. "Surely, your problem is with Sirius and his family?"</p><p>"Oh, come on now, don't get yourself hurt over Harry Potter!" The final tuh of Harry's surname was spat from Draco's lips.</p><p>The blonde-haired man contemplated somewhere to sit but with the only chair in the room smashed during his rage yesterday; the bed was the sole surface left in the room. He wrinkled his nose up in disgust and contemplated it for a moment longer before perching right on the edge of it.</p><p>"Not that it's any of your business, but I guess once you're home, I'll need someone to make sure they tell my story correctly. You could get that Rita Skeeter woman to do it. She hates Harry, after all.</p><p>"I guess my problem is that Harry stands for everything that is wrong with my life. He took everything that <em>I </em>deserved. With him out of the way, I might even be able to claw something back and sort things out for my aunt and myself. But I guess at least I'll be able to level the playing field a little bit otherwise.</p><p>"Plus, Harry is the thing that Sirius loves the most, and I want him to suffer."</p><p>Ginny lifted her head again. "Sirius would give you <em>everything</em>; he would sign it all over if it meant Harry stayed safe."</p><p>"Yeah, I know that," Draco shrugged. "But where's the fun? Anyway, enough talk about me. You should know what will happen next because I don't want either of you doing something that will ruin this and potentially get you hurt." He smirked as he talked, and Hermione could see that them getting hurt was the last of his concerns. He rubbed his hands together, obviously pleased with his plan.</p><p>"Crabbe and Goyle will be coming back up here soon. We don't <em>really</em> want to tie you up or constrain you too much, but we will <em>have</em> to fasten your hands behind your backs and put tape over your mouth. If you try <em>anything</em>, well, you'll wish that you were dead."</p><p>Draco pulled the blade he used to threaten them yesterday back out of his pocket and ran a finger along the sharp, pointed edge.</p><p>"Y-you said you wouldn't hurt us gravely." Hermione's breath hitched in her throat.</p><p>"And I'll stick by my word, as long as you two behave. It just helps to have a little insurance." Draco pushed himself up from the bed and slid the blade back into his pocket. "It's such a shame Harry's last memory of you will be your complete mess of a face." He leaned over and cupped Ginny's chin, pushing her face more towards him. He observed the cuts and bruises, an impressed smile on his face. "But I don't have any supplies in the house that will help you. I even forgot the first aid kit. Oops!</p><p>"I have a few things to get sorted, and I need to text Sirius the details of the trade, but get yourselves ready to leave."</p><p>Draco left the room and locked the door behind him. Immediately, Ginny scrambled off the bed.</p><p>"What are you doing?" Hermione watched her as she opened the curtains once more then dropped to the floor, searching under the bed.</p><p>"We need to find something to help us. Anything!"</p><p>"You saw the dagger, Ginny. What can we do to protect ourselves against that? The room is bare. There's nothing else in here unless we can smash a window."</p><p>The idea came to Hermione as quick as a flash. She slid off the bed and crawled towards the remains of the broken chair. "What about this?"</p><p>"Hermione, you're a bloody genius!" Ginny soon joined her on the floor.</p><p>The girls sifted through the shards of wood and broken mobile, looking for something usable. Luckily, at least two of the legs were almost entirely intact, and one of them had splintered into a sharp end. Her heart leapt in her chest at the hope it gave her. Ginny picked one of them up and weighed it tentatively in her hands.</p><p>"These are pretty solid, you know. With a bit of force behind them, they could probably do some damage."</p><p>"Okay," Hermione nodded, although she couldn't help feel just a tiny bit scared at how confident Ginny sounded. "Let's come up with a plan."</p><p>Summoning the last dregs of her energy, Hermione pressed her head against her friend's, stealing the small amount of comfort from her closeness before starting to plot. She knew they might not have long before Draco's friends came for them, but the urgency spurred her on.</p><p>⁂</p><p>By the time the heavy footsteps started making their way back up the stairs again, both girls were sitting back on the bed, the lumps of wood hidden under the thin pillows beneath them. Hermione's fingers itched to wrap around her weapon. She had tied all of her last hope in it, and she knew that if this plan didn't work, then they would surely be done for.</p><p>She glanced at Ginny as the key turned in the lock, sounding like a fingernail dragging on a countertop. Nervous energy bounced between the girls, and Hermione tried her best to let it fill her limbs with strength. The air crackled with electricity. She had never felt this tired before, or her body in as much pain. If it wasn't for Ginny or the small byte of Ron's voice she'd heard earlier that day, she might have already given up.</p><p>Crabbe and Goyle were laughing as they entered the room. Neither man could be called handsome—Crabbe was large and very fat, with a thick neck and gorilla-like arms where Goyle was tall with small dull eyes and broad shoulders. Both men seemed to be very stupid, and Hermione wondered if they had ever had an independent thought between them.</p><p>Goyle was finishing off an apple. He took his last bite and then threw the core at Hermione, who let out a squeal as it hit her on the arm. It didn't hurt, but she was already on edge, and her nerves frayed. Her reaction only served to make them laugh harder.</p><p>The pair split in two, and it wasn't until they made their way to the bed that Hermione noticed the rope in their hands.</p><p>"It's okay, little mouse. You don't have to be scared of us."</p><p>Goyle shoved his face against hers, his foul-smelling breath causing her stomach to churn. She wretched, her eyes watering from the effort of stopping the small amount of food she'd eaten last night from coming back up. She was concentrating so hard; she almost missed her cue from Ginny.</p><p>"Hermione! You have to do it now!"</p><p>Seemingly satisfied that the men were close enough for maximum impact, Ginny was shouting the command over and over again—loud enough for Hermione to hear her, but not too loud so as not to arouse suspicions from Draco, if he even was still in the house.</p><p>Goyle took a step back from her, looking confused. Hermione dug deep, her shoulder and face screaming in pain as she reached back and yanked the chair leg from underneath the pillow. Summoning the last of her strength, she swung it at the man's head. Wood made contact with skull with a whoosh and a sickening crunching noise. The henchman immediately hit the floor, followed closely by his friend, both landing with a satisfying <em>thunk</em>.</p><p>"Holy fuck, I can't believe that worked," Ginny breathed out, her hands shaking.</p><p>Hermione felt the rush of adrenaline wash over her body, her hands shaking in synchronicity with Ginny's. The brunette didn't even realise that she'd been holding her breath until her lungs cried out, forcing her to breathe in sharply. Fortunately, Draco either hadn't heard or wasn't bothered by the noise coming from the upstairs bedroom. <em>He probably thinks they're beating us around,</em> she thought with a grimace.</p><p>"I've never done that before," Hermione laughed nervously.</p><p>Carefully she slid off the bed and stepped gingerly over the limp form. She didn't care if they were okay or not, and in fact, she wished she had a pair of heels or heavy boots on to cause them more pain.</p><p>She lingered at the door for Ginny, who joined her quickly, lacing her fingers through Hermione's. Carefully, they crept onto the landing, their ears pricked for any indication of where their captor might be. They clung to each other as they headed to the long staircase, taking each step slowly. The wood was loaded with creaks and groans, and despite their lack of shoes, the clunks of their feet echoed through the house, making Hermione cringe.</p><p>The lower levels of the house were in a worse state than the room they had just been occupying. The paper was peeling off the wall, and the scent of mould threatened to overcome Hermione's nausea once more. She noticed a hole in the hallway and made a mental note to avoid it. The last thing they needed was a broken ankle.</p><p>"There's the front door," Ginny whispered.</p><p>"Shhh!" Hermione glanced around nervously.</p><p>She could hear every one of her breaths, but something didn't feel right. It had all been too easy so far. Crabbe and Goyle had fallen to the floor with heavy thumps, and Draco hadn't even come to see what was taking his companions so long. She tried her hardest to listen for something that might be out of place, but all she could hear was the steady wail of a police car in the distance and the continuous patter of rain against the door.</p><p>She tightened her grip on the chair leg, then followed Ginny down the hall. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest; she thought it might alert anyone within a five-mile radius that she was there. Her eyes flitted everywhere, checking for their next threat.</p><p>They finally made it to the door, and Ginny pulled at the handle, cursing as it didn't give.</p><p>"Shit, it's locked."</p><p>The girl growled in frustration and kicked at the door, swearing as her bare toes collided with the PVC. In a better time, Hermione might have laughed at her, especially at the similarities with her brother. But instead, her stomach plummeted.</p><p>"I'm going to check this room. Stay close to the door."</p><p>Hermione turned to her left and carefully pushed against the rotting wooden door. She held her breath, ready to make a run for it if Draco was lying in wait, but the room seemed to be empty. She stepped further into the room, letting out a gasp as she took in the contents.</p><p>It was practically a shrine to Harry.</p><p>"Ginny, look," she whispered, even though she knew the girl was hot on her heels.</p><p>Draco had covered the walls with pictures and articles about Harry. Some maps looked like they plotted out concert venues across the world. Hermione would probably be able to work out every detail of Harry's career since his first record was released.</p><p>"Jesus Christ, this guy is an actual psychopath." The petite redhead pushed past Hermione to the furthest wall.</p><p>"Oh my God, there's even pictures of the four of us up here. He's crossed out all of our faces apart from Harry's. And the guitar! It's here!"</p><p>"Bloody hell, it <em>was</em> him all along." Ginny let out a shaky breath. "We need to find the key to get out of here. I'll have a look through this desk. You check around the sofa and the coffee table."</p><p>"Okay," Hermione replied absent-mindedly, tearing her eyes from the walls and stooping low to reach the table.</p><p>Before she could even pull open the first drawer, she was grabbed from behind and pulled into a solid body. One pale hand slipped over her face, finally settling over her mouth to suppress the scream. She felt something sharp and cold press into the hollow of her neck.</p><p>"I'd stop doing that if I were you," Draco sneered. His face was so close to Hermione's that she could feel every one of his breaths against her cheek. She tried to squirm out of his grip, but he just pulled it tighter, the point of the blade digging further into her skin.</p><p>Ginny turned quickly, dropping the table leg that she'd tucked under her arm as she raised both hands in the air in surrender. Her eyes were wide.</p><p>"Please, don't hurt her," she pleaded.</p><p>"Where are Crabbe and Goyle? Tell me now, and I promise I won't hurt Hermione."</p><p>"We knocked them out." Ginny glanced guiltily at the chair leg on the floor.</p><p>"I can't trust those two with anything. I asked them to tidy up the remains of that chair," Draco spat. "The fucking imbeciles. It looks like I have to do all of the dirty work myself. The van is waiting outside. We're about to go and make the trade."</p><p>Ginny stared at him desperately. "I'll do whatever you want, Draco. Please, don't hurt Hermione. She is innocent in all of this. She only came to work with Harry two months ago. She didn't ask for this. If you're going to hurt someone, hurt me instead."</p><p>Tears traced down Ginny's face, and Hermione felt her own eyes fill up. She had never seen the girl cry before, she was usually so fierce. A trickle of blood ran from the blade and down her neck, but the pain from the fresh cut was nothing compared to the continuous ache radiating through her body or seeing her new best friend try and sacrifice herself to save her life.</p><p>"I ignore my fan mail too. I don't get as much as Harry, but I don't pay it any attention. I'm self-centred. I don't even wait for fans after games, yet I encourage Harry to at least try. I've benefited from his life and Sirius' money since I was a teenager. Hurt me, Draco, not Hermione."</p><p>Something Ginny said seemed to strike a chord with Draco, and his grip slackened just enough for Hermione to gain some momentum. She stamped her foot down hard on his insole then swung her elbow back, catching him in his side. He cried out in pain and relinquished his hold on her in shock. Realising what he'd done, he made a mad last-minute scramble to get hold of her again but only managed to catch her left lower arm with the dagger as she fled towards Ginny.</p><p>Draco's eyes lit up with glee. "Oh, I have you two cornered now."</p><p>He wiped the blood off the blade and stalked towards them.</p><p>"Fuck Harry, I think I'll just dump your lifeless bodies on his doorstep and sit and watch him cry over you. That would be more satisfying.</p><p>"Can you imagine the glory and fame I'd get for ridding the world of another Weasley and a famous footballer at that? I'd be all over the news! It will be brilliant!"</p><p>The look on his face was maniacal now, but Hermione couldn't think of anything else to do to escape. She clung to Ginny, trying to zone out Draco's taunts, and instead focused on the noises outside the house—the comings and goings of the people in the street. It seemed busier than it was when Draco brought them to the hovel yesterday. <em>Just my fucking luck, </em>she thought.</p><p>As she swore, the vision of Ron's face swam in front of her eyes, smiling and laughing at one of the many inside jokes they shared. He would have delighted in her swearing, and she would have told him straight away as soon as the thought came into her head. She wished she had been brave enough to start things with him sooner, to sleep with him earlier. They could have been together properly for the whole of the tour, enjoying the luxurious hotel rooms and massive bathrooms together, but Hermione had been so caught up in her rules to take the leap. She promised herself that if she ever got out of this, she would learn to be more spontaneous, especially about matters of the heart.</p><p>Draco was on top of them now—the blade raised high. With the thoughts of Ron and their relationship still firmly on her mind, Hermione summoned her last ounce of courage and stepped in front of Ginny. Ron was still hurting from losing Fred. The Weasleys couldn't handle losing anyone else so soon. If she could just give her friend the slightest chance to escape, she would.</p><p>Suddenly, there was a flurry of noise outside of the house. A man outside shouted a warning, distracting Draco. Three strikes hit the front door before it burst off its hinges, and a large group of armed policemen swarmed the house. Draco spun on the spot just as the policemen entered the room in full riot gear.</p><p>"Put your hands in the air, drop your weapon!"</p><p>The officer pointed his gun directly at Draco, but he did not shift. The policeman repeated himself. The blonde finally did as he was told, his arms shaking violently as he raised them towards the ceiling, admitting defeat.</p><p>What came next was a blur of noise and people. Draco was quickly arrested and led out of the house by the policemen. As the other officers searched the house, two policewomen, minus the guns and protective gear, cautiously entered the room. They looked at each other, and one of them gave the other a nod before taking a step towards Hermione and Ginny.</p><p>Hermione hadn't realised that she was still standing in front of her best friend protectively until the approaching policewoman spoke.</p><p>"Hermione? Ginny?" She pulled her hat off her head, probably in an attempt to look more friendly, revealing bubblegum pink hair. Cautiously, she offered her spare hand to Hermione. "My name is Officer Tonks. We've arrested Draco, and you are no longer in danger. Paramedics are waiting outside for you. Will you come with us so we can treat your wounds?"</p><p>Hermione backed into Ginny subconsciously, mistrusting of anyone new. "There are two men unconscious upstairs," she replied simply. "You should probably arrest us for hurting them. We used chair legs to hit them over the head, but I promise that it was in self-defence. We had no hope of escape otherwise."</p><p>"You are not in trouble for that, I promise," Tonks asserted. She finally reached Hermione and carefully looped an arm around her shoulder. She kept her distance as she started to lead her out of the room. "That cut on your arm looks bad. It's bleeding a lot. I reckon you'll need stitches."</p><p>Hermione nodded, allowing herself to relax against the officer slightly. She flinched as she got to the front door and stopped. "I don't have any shoes," she frowned at her feet.</p><p>"That's okay. We'll find you some to go home in, okay?"</p><p>Tonks lingered in the doorway patiently. Hermione chewed her lip, wondering when the next stage of Draco's attack was going to be. This was surely just a trap, and she was pretty sure he'd be back on top of her, his dagger flashing menacingly.</p><p>"Come on, Hermione. I promise you're safe."</p><p>"Okay…" She was still hesitant, but she had nothing else to lose. She could no longer stay in this mouldy, grotty house anymore. Taking a deep breath, she stepped over the threshold and let her toes settle on the wet stone stairs.</p><p>"Hermione!"</p><p>A voice caught her attention, and she finally looked up to survey the scene outside of the house. There was an army of riot vans and police cars, at least three waiting ambulances and what looked like a hundred people, waiting under umbrellas against a thin line of blue police tape.</p><p>"Hermione!" The voice heard again. She scanned the crowd of curtain twitchers then suddenly set eyes on him. Something inside Hermione relaxed, like a knot released, and she felt the fear and the tension of the last twenty-four hours flow out of her, escaping her mouth in a low cry. Tonks tightened her grip in response and led her down the steps until finally, they were on the pavement outside the house. Rain was soaking her, but she couldn't even feel it.</p><p>
  <em>Ron was there waiting for her. He'd come to rescue her.</em>
</p><p>He turned angrily to the tall, black man who had a firm grip on Ron's arm.</p><p>"Look, I don't give a fuck about protocol Kingsley. I'm here, aren't I?" Hermione strained to see him as a group of paramedics rushed past with a stretcher.</p><p>"You shouldn't have followed us, Ron. I warned you against it."</p><p>"I'm going to see her, and you can't stop me!"</p><p>The corners of Hermione's mouth twitched as she watched him argue with the man he referred to as Kinglsey. This behaviour was so typically him, and it filled her heart with a fleeting sense of joy to see this ordeal had not broken his spirit. She knew she would need his brilliant personality to help her through this.</p><p>Seemingly finished with the argument but unsatisfied with Kingsley's answer, Ron suddenly broke free from the man's grip. He quickly lifted the police tape and stooped low to get under it before breaking out at full speed to get to Hermione. It seemed to take a lifetime as he weaved through paramedics and officers. She yearned to have him back, for him to make her feel safe again.</p><p>Suddenly, he was upon her, and Hermione didn't have time to draw breath before Ron had her bundled up in his arms.</p><p>Her body screamed as Ron crushed her against his chest, and all of her limbs and cuts cried out in protest at the contact, but she ignored it. She could easily put up with the deep ache for the rest of her life as long as she didn't have to leave the safety of his arms again. Hermione sunk into his embrace, and it wasn't until she heard Ron sniff that she realised she was crying too.</p><p>"You're okay?" he breathed out, his face buried in her matted curls.</p><p>"I'm okay," she nodded against him.</p><p>"I was so worried about you."</p><p>Ron pulled away to look at her, and Hermione could see that his eyes were red. Her heart plummeted, and for a moment, she felt terrible that she had caused his hurt. But then the small, rational voice inside her head kicked in, scolding her for feeling that way. There was only one person to blame for all of this, and that was Draco Malfoy.</p><p>"I'm okay, I'm fine," Hermione repeated. Ron smiled and pressed the softest of kisses against her forehead.</p><p>"Wotcher!"</p><p>Hermione almost scowled Tonks' intrusion, especially because it caused Ron to loosen his grip on her. But he didn't remove himself altogether. She leaned into him, needing the comfort from his arms as she turned to look at the police officer.</p><p>"We need to get you to the hospital now. Your friend can follow if he wants."</p><p>She was about to nod her reply, too tired to argue against the decision, but Ron spoke up, taking control.</p><p>"No, no way am I letting her out of my sight. I'm coming with you."</p><p>"But Mr Weasley…" Tonks' voice fell on deaf ears as Ron started to lead Hermione towards a waiting paramedic. As Ron and the medic helped her onto the back, she saw the tall black man approach the police officer, who must have been placated by his words.</p><p>"Right Hermione, let's take a look at that arm, shall we?"</p><p>The paramedic snapped on a pair of latex gloves and started to examine Hermione's wound. It was at that moment that she realised just how much she was bleeding. Unfortunately, so did Ron. He glanced at her arm, then down at his t-shirt, which was also covered in blood and turned as white as a ghost. He took a deep breath, and Hermione loved him even more for his stoic attempts at not fainting.</p><p>"Please don't faint, Ron. I need you conscious."</p><p>"I'll be okay," he let out a long breath and colour started to return to his cheeks as Ron seemingly took control of it. He reached across the ambulance and wove his fingers around her spare, uninjured hand. "I heard over the police radio that you and Ginny knocked out some goons? Come on, distract me and tell me all about it."</p><p>⁂</p><p>It didn't take long for the paramedic to finish her assessment, dress the cut on Hermione's arm then transfer her to the Royal London Hospital. Ron, Hermione and Tonks crowded the back of the ambulance, which annoyed the paramedic, although she didn't speak up about it. The police officer seemed kind enough but clearly didn't like the uncomfortable silences that sat among the small group. So instead, she asked question after question about Hermione and Ginny's escape attempt, jotting down all the details in her small notepad.</p><p>It was only when Hermione was being helped out of the ambulance that she realised Ginny had been out of her sight for too long.</p><p>"Where is she? Where's Ginny?" Hermione panicked, her head searching her surroundings wildly.</p><p>"She's not far, I promise." The paramedic tried her best to comfort Hermione.</p><p>Another vehicle backed into the bay. As soon as it stopped, the doors swung open, and Ginny stepped out of the back. She was moving gingerly, but refused any help from her medics or Harry, who followed her with a concerned look on his face.</p><p>"Hermione!" Ginny cried out and limped over to check her friend. After assuring each other that they were fine, they finally agreed to be escorted into the building.</p><p>Once inside the hospital, the girls were again split up to make it easier for the doctors to assess and treat them. The medic in charge promised that they would be reunited as soon as they were in the treatment area to appease them. Officer Tonks followed Ron and Hermione as a nurse guided her through triage and up to x-ray before finally settling the patient in a cubicle in the treatment area. The policewoman eventually left them alone but promised she would only be outside if they needed her.</p><p>Before Tonks even finished closing the curtain around the cubicle, Ron forced himself onto Hermione's bed and wrapped his arms fully around her. It was almost like he didn't want to let her go.</p><p>"I thought I'd never see you again." He pressed a kiss to her temple.</p><p>Hermione let out a shaky sigh, fighting back the emotion that threatened to overcome her again. "I know. I just kept thinking about how I hadn't texted you that I loved you since I left the house. I didn't want you to think that.." The words stuck in her throat, and she swallowed them down. "If anything happened to me, I didn't want you to think that I didn't love you."</p><p>Ron let out a low chuckle and kissed her temple again. "You told me before I left for the day 'Mione. I doubt anything changed between me leaving the house and you. You don't have to text me all the time for me to know that you love me. I feel pretty confident about that, you know."</p><p>"Well, that's good because I do... love you, that is."</p><p>"Good, and I love you, too. So much." He pressed another few kisses against the side of her face, moving carefully around her bruises. Once again, Ron reminded her that despite the fact he had a physical job and Sirius paid him to be a big, burly security guy, he was one of the most gentle, caring men she knew.</p><p>Hermione turned her head to look at him, her heart pounding with love for him. She closed her eyes and pushed her head closer to him. She didn't care that kissing him might hurt her busted lip; she just needed the intimacy from him to ground her.</p><p>Before their lips could touch, the curtain opened, and a cheery-looking doctor entered, not even noticing she might have interrupted something. Ron looked uncomfortable and carefully untangled himself from her before sliding into the chair next to the bed. The doctor looked at the clipboard in her hand before raising her head to smile at Hermione.</p><p>"All of your results are back. We fast-tracked them, given your importance and what you've been through; we thought you might want to get home as soon as possible. The cuts on your arm and neck are superficial, you'll just need some stitches, and there are no serious head injuries. You may have a minor concussion, so someone will need to keep an eye on you overnight, but as soon as we get those stitches sorted, we can get you discharged."</p><p>"Thank you so much," Hermione felt weary again. The day had been such a rollercoaster, and she wanted nothing more than to get into her bed again.</p><p>"You are welcome. You had a fortunate escape." The doctor saw herself out.</p><p>Hermione was desperate to try and kiss Ron again, but he seemed to want to keep himself in the chair. Every time she thought they had five minutes alone, they were interrupted by someone else. Suddenly, her tiny cubicle had become a flurry of activity. First, the nurse came along to stitch her arm up and put a proper dressing on her neck, then the doctor came back with some painkillers and to discharge her. Finally, Tonks entered the cubicle to take Hermione's statement and warn them that news of Harry and Ginny's arrival at the hospital had attracted a handful of journalists.</p><p>Ron stayed quiet in his chair the entire time until the fourth person appeared at the curtain. Hermione was about to call out that she just wanted to be left alone when her eyes settled on a friendly-looking woman. Although she was a lot shorter than both Ginny and Ron, the flame-red hair gave away that she was their mother.</p><p>"Mum…" Ron shot up from his seat and moved across the room quickly. "How's Ginny?" He stooped low to hug her.</p><p>"She's fine, love." She gave Ron a quick squeeze, smiling over his shoulder at Hermione. "Just being discharged. Dad has gone to get Sirius; he's been waiting in the hospital cafeteria for news all afternoon. He's going to drive Harry and Ginny home, so I thought you two might want to come home in the car with me?"</p><p>"Okay." The good news about his sister seemed to remove another load from Ron's shoulders. He took his mum's hand and led her towards the trolley. "This is Hermione, mum, my girlfriend."</p><p>"Well, I gathered that." She nudged her son gently before letting go of him and holding her arms out for Hermione.</p><p>Despite the fact she had never met this woman before, Hermione immediately felt at ease with her. She pushed herself up from the bed with a groan and let his mum wrap her arms around her.</p><p>"I'm Molly, but you can call me Mum. I don't think I answer to anything else anymore. It's lovely to meet you, although I wish the circumstances were better." Molly let go of Hermione and pushed a lank curl out of her face. She had a concerned look, and Hermione immediately felt a lot of love for her. "Are you ready to go home?"</p><p>Once again, Hermione felt overcome with emotion. She glanced over at Ron, who was hovering close to his mum, then nodded. "Yes, please."</p><p>Ron and Molly helped her carefully to her feet. Once she was steady, and Tonks had come into the cubicle to let them know what came next, they guided her out of the hospital. Fortunately, the press had left once they'd seen that Harry and Ginny had already gone, leaving the four of them to make a quiet exit.</p><p>She was finally going home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what did you think? This is a HUGE chapter, but I'm immensely proud of it (and the couple that preceded it). I had a similar storyline in Begin Again, so if you've read that, I think you'll agree there's a massive difference in the quality of my story.</p><p>As always - my betas did a sterling job on guiding me through this. Cheesy, be11a and QuickSilverFox constantly challenge what I've written and make sure it's the best (making sure I explain things properly, everything makes sense and ensuring I show and don't tell, but Adenei gets extra kudos this chapter for reading it and calling me out on my characterisation.</p><p>If you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know and if you didn't, also let me know but please remember to be kind and be constructive. I hope you have a lovely week xxx</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Comfort</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hermione is finally safe back at Grimmauld Place, but our young couple still have a couple of hurdles to get over before they can rest easily.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Tuesday everyone. I hope you're all having a lovely week.  Here's my latest update for Lego House, I hope you all enjoy it. If you do, please let me know. Many thanks goes, as always to Adenei, be11atrixthestrange, cheesyficwriter and QuickSilverFox3 for their brilliant work betaing this story. If you're looking for more stories to read, you should check out their writing. It's bloody brilliant.</p><p>Have a lush week, and stay safe xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ron didn’t allow the feeling of relief to wash over his body until he and Hermione were sitting in the back of his mum’s car, and they both had their seatbelts fastened. He sank into the seat, letting his head fall back against the headrest before closing his eyes. A long breath escaped his lips, something he hadn’t even realised he’d been holding in.</p><p>He opened his eyes again, immediately turning his head to check that Hermione was still there. He was surprised to see her staring at him, and he threw her a quizzical look back.</p><p>“Are you okay?” he whispered, sliding his hand over the fabric of the seat to tangle with hers. Her hand was shaking, but her skin felt just as he remembered it. Even a moment without touching Hermione was far too long right now. How long would this feeling last? </p><p>“Yeah.” Her fingers curled around his. “Just missed you.”</p><p>“Why don’t you slide over to me? It’ll be a while until we get home. You might as well try and sleep.”</p><p>Hermione hesitated, her eyes flitting over to his mum sitting in the driver’s seat, and Ron couldn’t help but chuckle. Even after everything, she still wasn’t keen on public displays of affection in front of people she didn’t know. He lifted his arm and nodded at her to join him. </p><p>Finally, she came to a decision. She unfastened her belt and shifted to the middle seat. As soon as she was secured again, Hermione snuggled up to him and closed her eyes. By the time his dad was on the A road, she was fast asleep. Despite the grime from the past day covering her body—the caked-on blood and the sterile scent of the hospital still clinging to her—Hermione still felt familiar to him, and he was grateful for that.</p><p>The journey from the Royal London hospital back to the house in Watford seemed to be one of the longest Ron had ever had to endure, although it was made slightly better by the warm sensation of Hermione pressed into his side. A couple of times, he spotted his mum stealing glances at the back seat. Ron didn’t care. He wasn’t ashamed of what he and Hermione had, and his parents had always taught him to love openly.</p><p>Grimmauld Place eventually came into view, and Ron let out a sigh of relief as he saw that all of the police cars were gone. He hoped that it was back to normal inside, too—it felt wrong having all those strangers roaming around the place where they lived. In his brain, he was already listing all of the additional improvements he would have to make to secure everyone—even codewords and security questions.</p><p>“Relieved to be home, ‘eh?” His mum turned around fully in her seat and gave him a warm smile, just as they pulled onto the drive.</p><p>“Yeah, and relieved that the police are gone, too. I want things to be as normal as possible for her.”</p><p>“Do you want dinner tonight?”</p><p>Ron checked his watch and frowned. When did it get so late in the evening? “Honestly, Mum, I think we’ll just go to bed tonight. Thank you, though.”</p><p>His mum’s smile faltered slightly, and Ron cursed himself inwardly. “Maybe we could have a big breakfast tomorrow. Hermione will be starving by the time she wakes up. I doubt the Malftwat fed her or Ginny properly. Probably the last thing on his mind.”</p><p>Molly tutted, but her smile grew again. “That sounds nice, love. I think I can put something together.”</p><p>His mum slid out of the car, and Ron took advantage of the quiet to shake Hermione’s shoulder gently. “Heya, love, we’re home now.”</p><p>She finally stirred, rubbing at her eyes and letting out a huge yawn. Immediately she winced in pain, regretting the decision, and Ron felt sadness tug at his heart. He wished he could just make her feel better.</p><p>“That didn’t take too long,” she yawned.</p><p>“You slept all the way home.” He smiled in return before unfastening both of their seatbelts and helping her out of the car. Carefully, he started to lead her into the house.</p><p>A clattering of footsteps crossed the hallway upstairs, and someone stormed down the staircase. Ron felt Hermione shrink into his side, and he tensed. It wasn’t until Harry came running into view that Ron relaxed again, almost cursing his best friend for his inconsideration, even though he knew Harry hadn’t even had a chance to see Hermione yet.</p><p>“I’m so glad to see you.” Before anyone could protest, Harry gathered Hermione into a tight hug. “I’m so, so sorry about everything.”</p><p>“I’m okay, I promise. And I don’t hold any of this against you.” She nestled her head against Harry’s neck. “Where’s Ginny?”</p><p>He released his grip on her and glanced back up the stairs. “She’s gone straight to bed. She’s okay too. I was just going to get her a drink.”</p><p>“Why don’t you go check on her, ‘Mione?” Ron intervened. “I’ll make you a cup of tea and bring it up with your painkillers. Then it’s straight to bed, doctor’s orders.”</p><p>Hermione nodded once before heading wearily up the stairs. It pained him to see her moving so slowly—it was utterly unlike her. Although usually a lot calmer than Harry and Ron, Hermione still had had a busy energy about her, but Draco had stolen that away. Ron wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and carry her the rest of the way, but he knew she wouldn’t allow it.</p><p>When she was finally out of sight, he followed Harry and his parents through to the kitchen. He let his mum make the tea, and his thoughts didn’t drift far from Hermione the entire time.</p><p>⁂</p><p>Ron finally made his way back upstairs. He planned to leave the tray of goodies his mum had loaded him up with, then go and coax Hermione out of Ginny’s room, but when he entered Hermione’s bedroom, she was already in there. Carefully, he set the tray on top of a chest of drawers before shutting the door.</p><p>“How’s my sis—” He stopped in his tracks as he finally set eyes on Hermione. She was trying her hardest to get out of her dirty clothes but didn’t seem to have the energy even to pull her top over her head. His stomach twisted painfully.</p><p>Hermione turned to look at him, tears shining in her eyes. “I can’t do it, Ron. I’m so tired, and everything hurts.” She tried to pull her top up again and let her arms drop to her sides with an exasperated grunt.</p><p>Sensing an impending meltdown, Ron quickly crossed the room and took her hand. Slowly, he guided her back to the end of the bed, where he helped her sit down.</p><p>“Here, I’ve got your tea and tablets. I promise this will help you feel better.” He pulled his hand out of her vice-like grip, picked up the cup and small selection of pills, and pressed them into her hand. “I just need to get some bits, and then I’ll help you, okay?”</p><p>“Thank you.” Hermione took a sip of the tea then looked up at Ron. “I love you.”</p><p>“I love you too, so much.” He leaned down and quickly wiped an escaped tear from under her eye before kissing the top of her head. Finally, once he was sure she had taken another drink of the tea, he hurried out.</p><p>Once back in his room, Ron allowed himself a minute to gain some composure. His jaw ached from clenching it so much, and he hadn’t even realised he was holding so much tension there until he let himself relax. As he paced the faded carpet, he noticed his hands were shaking, although he wasn’t surprised. The last twenty-four hours had been eventful, and he knew it wasn’t entirely over yet. He needed to try his best to keep his head level to be there for Hermione.</p><p>He cast his eyes around his room, making a mental list of everything he might need for the night. He had no intention of leaving her alone, and unless she forced him out of her room, he planned to stay the night. He collected some clean boxers and an old tee, a book and his alarm clock. He stuffed his feet into his slippers and then, as a last thought, grabbed a cosy jumper out of his wardrobe. Checking there was nothing else he needed, he finally made his way back to Hermione’s room.</p><p>She was finishing her cup of tea when he reentered. Ron dumped his stuff unceremoniously on the side before wandering back over to her.</p><p>“Better?” He watched her closely, looking for any indication as to how she might be feeling.</p><p>“Yeah, tea always does help.” She smiled and passed him her empty cup.</p><p>“My mum taught me that. She is a genius. Hopefully, the painkillers will kick in soon.” Ron placed the cup back on the tray. “Are you ready for a shower?”</p><p>“You don’t have to. I don’t expect that from you.”</p><p>“Why not?” He frowned.</p><p>“Because we’ve only been together for six weeks. And I stink. I don’t want to put you off by seeing me this way.”</p><p>Despite the seriousness of this situation, Ron couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped his lips. He dropped into a squat and took hold of both of her hands tightly, ignoring the dried blood that stained her jeans a deep burgundy.</p><p>“I don’t care, Hermione. I love you. You were cuddled up to me in the car all the way home. I know you smell, and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Heck, I probably stink too. I haven’t showered since yesterday morning.</p><p>“Nothing I see will put me off you. And if this is serious between us, then I’m probably going to see a whole lot worse over the years. Puke, more blood, maybe even babies being born. I’m going to watch it all, and it will only make me love you even more.”</p><p>“Do you promise?” Hermione blinked, and a tear escaped her eye. Ron immediately brushed it away then cupped her cheek, stroking it with his thumb.</p><p>“I cross my heart. Nothing you do will make me love you less.”</p><p>“Okay.” Hermione sniffed then nodded. “Time to shower.”</p><p>“I agree. You stink!” He smirked before pushing himself up with a groan. Carefully, he took both her hands again and pulled her to her feet. “My mum gave me some stuff to protect your stitches from the water. We need to keep that dressing dry.”</p><p>She followed him around the room as he gathered everything they needed, keeping a tight grip on his hand. She’d never clung to him this way before, and even though they’d only been together for six weeks, he knew this was unusual for Hermione. She was usually fiercely independent and enjoyed nothing more than doing things for herself.</p><p>Even though he knew nobody would dare disturb them tonight, Ron still locked the bathroom door behind them, just to give them a little more security. He set everything down on the toilet seat before finally prying himself from Hermione’s grip. She instantly shifted to lean against the door, but Ron noticed how she was still twisting her hands together. She just could not settle. He sighed softly, hoping the shower would at least help her relax.</p><p>“Towels?” he questioned her, smiling as she pointed at the right cupboard. </p><p>He pulled out two of the fluffiest looking and put them on the heated rail. Next, he turned the water on and set the temperature so it was just warm enough. Despite the fact he liked his showers so hot it practically melted his skin off, he was sure Hermione wouldn’t enjoy it. So he got it as warm as he could before turning back to her.</p><p>“Right.” He regarded her, still standing weakly up against the door. “I don’t think any of these clothes are salvageable. Does that matter?”</p><p>“No, I don’t want to see any of them again. Please, Ron, get rid of them.”</p><p>“Alright.” He pulled out the scissors he’d taken from her desk. Stay still, okay?”</p><p>He waited for Hermione to step forward, then started from the bottom of her top and carefully cut it apart through the centre, ignoring her sharp intake of breath as the cold blade pressed against her skin. </p><p>“I’m sorry.” He frowned in concentration, not wanting to add to her pain. “I’m almost done.” </p><p>He was careful as he got to her neck, making sure the blade was nowhere near the already bandaged cut on her skin. Once he finished, he put the scissors aside and pushed the top off her shoulders before pressing it into a ball and throwing it into the corner of the room. Her bra soon joined it, although fortunately, it was a lot easier to help her out of that without him having to try and cut through the lacy material.</p><p>“I’ll bin all our clothes in the morning, I promise. You won’t have to see any of it again. Jeans next?”</p><p>Hermione unfastened her button and fly by herself, then used Ron to keep her balance as she carefully wriggled out of them, removing her underwear too. With a sudden burst of energy, Hermione kicked the clothing to the side.</p><p>“That’s my girl. Now let's get that arm wrapped up. The last thing we need is for you to get an infection.” </p><p>He wrapped Hermione’s arm in the clingfilm his mum had given him, fastening it firmly down with some medical tape before helping her climb into the bath. Once she was under the water, he briskly got rid of his clothes then joined her.</p><p>“That feels so much better already,” Hermione sighed.</p><p>She stretched out under the water, letting it wash through her hair and over her body in a move that would have been erotic in any other circumstance. But with her petite frame on display, Ron finally got a moment to look at her properly. He was dismayed to see the collection of violent purple bruises on both sides of her ribs. It sent a chill running down his spine, gathering in a heavy knot somewhere in his belly. </p><p>Straight away, his mind went into overdrive, blaming himself for what happened to Hermione and his sister. It was his fault for not working out who was behind the suspicious fan mail. It was his fault for not being able to catch the man who stole Harry’s guitar. Hell, it was even his fault for not realising that the man Hermione spoke to in the corridor was a threat. If he could have just pulled his head out of his backside for five minutes, instead of letting himself get distracted by this amazing, brilliant woman, then the police would have arrested Draco ages ago, and Hermione and Ginny would have stayed safe. He should have insisted they take the extra security detail with them, or he should have spoken to Sirius and accompanied them to Stamford Bridge. Only he could have kept them safe.</p><p>The knot in his stomach churned, and for a brief moment, Ron worried he might be sick. He took a deep breath and tried to shake all of the negative thoughts out of his head before Hermione noticed something was up. He needed to be strong.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Hermione asked. Ron wasn’t as good at hiding his feelings as he thought.</p><p>“Yeah, fine.” He forced what he hoped would be a comforting smile onto his face. “Show me how to wash your hair.”</p><p>⁂</p><p>Ron took his time showering with Hermione, wanting to make sure that they both had all the dirt and grime from the day’s events scrubbed off their bodies and from their hair. He was gentle with her, noting every time she flinched or pulled away from his touch and tried to soothe her skin with soft kisses.</p><p>Once they were finished, he helped her back out of the bath. Carefully, he towelled her body and hair dry before wrapping them both up and leading her through to her room and sitting Hermione back on the end of her bed.</p><p>“So, I brought you a present.”</p><p>Every year, Ron’s mum knitted every family member a jumper. It was a tradition she started when his oldest brother Bill was a baby, and it carried on throughout the years. She even made one for the millions of partners and children that came with having a big brood. Harry had five of his own jumpers. They were cosy, although Ron would never wear his out in public. It was one of his favourite things to wear when just lounging around the house.</p><p>He unfolded the maroon knitwear and held it out for her, smiling at her weak attempt at a laugh. “You’ve been pestering for me to let you steal it since you knew it existed, so I thought I’d finally give in, especially if it will bring you some sort of comfort tonight.”</p><p>Hermione bundled up the jumper in her arms and held it close to her chest. “All it took was me getting kidnapped to persuade you finally?”</p><p>He shrugged. “I would have given in eventually. You’ll soon find out you have this special power over me. I’d do anything for you. Point me to where your pyjamas are.”</p><p>Ron followed Hermione’s gesture to the right drawer and, avoiding all the skimpier stuff, pulled out the comfiest looking pair of pyjamas he could find. He helped her dress in them, then finished it off with the jumper before getting himself dressed into his clean boxers and a t-shirt.</p><p>“Hair next? Looking after a girl is exhausting,” Ron laughed.</p><p>“You can just put it up if you want?”</p><p>“I have a secret to tell you. But only if you promise not to laugh.”</p><p>Ron climbed onto the bed, Hermione’s comb and a bobble in his hand. He settled against the headboard and patted the patch of the duvet in between his wide-open legs. She gave him a curious look but did as he asked, crawling up the bed and settling against him. Slowly, Ron started to run the de-tangler through all the knots in her wet hair. It was a mess, but he was determined to get it sorted for her.</p><p>“Because there were so many of us, and the twins were such a handful, Mum often left it to me to help Ginny get ready for school. She taught me how to braid her hair.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yep! I’m pretty good at it. For now, I’ll just give you a french braid, but when you’re feeling better, I’ll show you what I can do. On one condition.”</p><p>“What’s that?” </p><p>Hermione tilted her head back to look up at him, and Ron smiled. “Don’t tell Harry and Sirius.”</p><p>“Why? Are you worried they’ll make fun?”</p><p>“No, not at all. I’m the manliest man I know. I don’t care about that. But I don’t want them to find out because then they’ll have no excuse to look after themselves and I’ll never leave this job. They’ll constantly be asking me to do their hair!”</p><p>Hermione laughed and relaxed back against him as he sorted her hair out. “They do need a lot of looking after already.”</p><p>“Honestly, sweetheart. You should have seen the tizz they were in because you weren’t around to cancel the concert. You’re a vital part of this operation now.” He tied the bobble at the end of the plait before wrapping his arms around her. He lowered his lips to her ear. “I don’t know what any of us would do without you.”</p><p>She shivered in his arms and nestled closer, suppressing a yawn. “I have a folder full of instructions on my desk. You would have been fine.”</p><p>“Of course you do.” Ron pressed his nose against her cheek. “Time for bed?”</p><p>“Yeah, I think so. Are you going to stay with me?”</p><p>“If you want me to. Someone has to make sure you wake up every hour, so I figured it would be me. But if you’d prefer, I can get Mum to come in and check on you instead. I’m sure she won’t mind.”</p><p>“No,” Hermione frowned. “I need you to stay.”</p><p>“Come on then.”</p><p>Each movement felt like a chore for Ron. His limbs were heavy, finally succumbing to his exhaustion and lack of sleep. Once he had securely tucked Hermione in, he set the alarm clock for an hour’s time, then settled into bed, waiting for her to roll onto her side before spooning up to her. He let out a small laugh as Crookshanks settled the other side of her, and he remembered his pledge to the cat. Ron would have to try and be nicer to him from now on.</p><p>As soon as Ron slid his arm over Hermione’s side, she tangled their fingers together.</p><p>“You don’t have to do the hourly check-in thing, Ron. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”</p><p>“No way. The doctor told me I needed to keep a close eye on you tonight, even though they think your concussion isn’t too bad. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially where you’re concerned.” </p><p>He turned off the lamp, ignoring her huff of indignation. Ron didn’t determine whether Hermione was too tired to argue back or too scared to take the risk. Both of them closed their eyes without another word, although sleep was a lot further away than they’d hoped.</p><p>⁂</p><p>The alarm clock rang for the fourth time that night, eliciting a low, frustrated growl from Hermione. It took Ron a moment to realise what was going on, but when he finally worked it out, he pushed himself blearily from the bed and shut it off quickly. He placed a hand on Hermione’s shoulder to shake it but was interrupted before he could start.</p><p>“I’m already awake,” she grumbled. “I’m having enough difficulty getting to sleep as it is. As soon as I do drift off, that damn alarm wakes me up again. Please just turn it off, Ron!”</p><p>Although she had her back to him, Ron could just imagine the angry look plastered over her face. The desperation in her voice was enough to persuade him that enough was enough.</p><p>“Fine. I’m not getting much sleep anyway, so I’ll just sit up and keep an eye on you.”</p><p>Slowly, and with a low groan, Hermione turned over to face him, disturbing the cat, who let out a disgruntled meow and retreated to the foot of the bed. He rolled onto his side so he could see her better. They were so close; their noses were almost touching.</p><p>“Why are you not sleeping?” she asked gently.</p><p>“It’s not important. What’s going on with you, sweetheart?” He reached out to brush an escaped curl off her forehead.</p><p>“It’s just Malfoy. Every time I close my eyes, I see him towering over me.</p><p>“He’s safe behind ba—”</p><p>“I know he is,” she exclaimed exasperatedly. “But that doesn’t stop the thoughts from creeping in any way.”</p><p>Ron let out a heavy sigh. He knew all about intrusive thoughts creeping into his mind, especially when he didn’t want them to. His eyes shifted away from hers, staring over her shoulder so that she wouldn’t see the guilt he felt, even in the darkness. </p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>“What for?”</p><p>“I just.” Ron swallowed the creeping emotion back, needing to keep his voice calm if he wanted to speak to her about this openly and honestly. “I feel bad that I didn’t work out what was happening soon enough. Everything that happened to you and Ginny—it’s all my fault.”</p><p>Hermione scoffed and reached up to stroke his hair. “You don’t honestly believe that do you?” She let out a huff of air as Ron nodded, and he was momentarily pleased to see that she still had some fight in her. “Ron! You did everything you could to try and solve the mystery behind all the crazy shit that was happening.  From the moment I showed you the first letter, you were all over it. </p><p>“The only person to blame for what happened to Ginny and me is Draco Malfoy and his idiot goons. They’re the only people who kidnapped us and beat us up.”</p><p>Ron chewed the inside of his cheek, letting the taste of iron flood his mouth. It was as if he could hear and understand the words she was saying, but they just weren’t sinking in. Nothing could stop the shame he felt about letting his girlfriend down in such a significant way. </p><p>Hermione seemed to take his silence as a cue to continue. Her voice dropped low, barely a whisper over the thudding of his heart in his ears. </p><p>“Please don’t beat yourself up about this, Ron. There was no way you could have worked this out or done anything differently. Sometimes, people are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and no matter how much planning you do, you can’t stop the wheels once they’re in motion. You didn’t even know Draco existed. Sirius never spoke about him.”</p><p>“That stupid fucking Malftwat,” he grumbled. His grumpy mood was soon knocked off-kilter by the short laugh that escaped her mouth, even though it came with a grumble of pain.</p><p>Instead of arguing with him anymore or telling him off for swearing, Hermione gathered Ron up in her arms and carefully rolled onto her back. The move forced him to settle on his stomach, his head resting on her chest. She winced with every movement, but she held him close to her determinedly.</p><p>“It’s easy to think about the what-ifs, but I’m sure that will drive you crazy quickly. And you know me, I love to plan, almost as much as I love you. One thing I learnt when I went through all that shit with Cormac was that some things will just happen to you.” She slid her hands into his hair, stroking it softly. “The important thing is that we were reunited, and we have a chance to get on with our lives. Nothing serious happened—just a couple of cuts and bruises. I just thank the stars that I’m lucky enough to work for someone who can afford to pay for all the therapy I need to get over this properly.</p><p>“So please, stop driving yourself mental over this, Ron. Because, selfishly, I’m going to need my sunny, brilliant boyfriend back to help me get through this.”</p><p>Hermione’s comforting words eventually struck home, and he let out a long, shuddering breath, trying to let the last of his worries fall from his shoulders. The tension in his body disappeared, and he allowed himself to sink further into Hermione. What she was saying was right—he wasn’t to blame for this.</p><p>He lifted his head, resting his chin on her chest as he gazed up at her. “What did I do to deserve you?”</p><p>“You wowed me on my first day on the job with your unfriendly personality. You’re just lucky you have muscles and a cute butt.”</p><p>“I love you.” Ron smiled at her.</p><p>“I love you, too. Now can you do me a favour?”</p><p>“What’s that, love?”</p><p>“Will you bloody kiss me properly? All these pecks on the forehead and soft kisses against my bruises are lovely, but it’s driving me crazy!”</p><p>“But what about your busted lip? I don’t want to hurt you.”</p><p>“Everything hurts. I need you to kiss me better.”</p><p>Ron laughed softly at her demands. Even when she was injured and in pain, she still had him completely under her thumb. He felt a warmth flood through his body at the realisation that nothing had changed, that their relationship was stronger than ever. Slowly, he lifted his head to press a soft kiss against her lips.</p><p>Hermione instantly responded, her eyes closed as she slipped one hand out of his hair to cup his cheek and hold his face close to hers. They kissed until they needed breath and eventually pulled away.</p><p>“Do you think you’ll be able to sleep now ‘Mione?” He gazed up at her, only focusing on her deep, brown eyes.</p><p>“I think so, as long as you promise not to wake me up again?”</p><p>“How’s your head?”</p><p>“Fine,” she sighed. “Please stop worrying!”</p><p>“Okay, okay.” He rested his head back on her chest. “Hermione?”</p><p>“Yes?” Her voice already sounded thick with sleep.</p><p>“I love you.”</p><p>Hermione didn’t respond, but that was okay. Ron knew where he stood with her. He closed his eyes and snuggled closer before finally drifting off to sleep.</p><p>⁂</p><p>When Ron woke the following morning, he was in Hermione’s bed alone. He frowned, reaching out for his missing girlfriend and only finding a warm spot where she once lay. Stretching, he pulled himself out of bed and shoved his feet into his slippers before wandering out to the hallway.</p><p>The sound of talking carried up the stairs from the kitchen along with the smell of bacon, and Ron followed it keenly. His stomach growled, and he realised he hadn’t eaten a proper meal since he had lunch at the O2 almost two days ago. And hopefully, his mum was cooking. She made the best breakfasts ever.</p><p>He entered the kitchen, smiling at the scene that greeted him. Harry, Ginny and Sirius were already sitting at the breakfast table with his dad, having an animated conversation whilst they sipped coffee. They were probably talking about football—the most important topic in Grimmauld Place. But the best sight was seeing Hermione, still bundled up in his old jumper and perched on a stool at the island, nursing a cup of tea whilst she chatted to his mum.</p><p>“Hey.” Ron leaned against the doorframe, smiling when Hermione’s eyes lit up as soon as she heard him. It immediately reassured him that nothing they went through last night—not his confession of guilt or her worries about him being turned off by helping her shower—had scared her off or ruined their relationship.</p><p>Molly turned around at the sound of his voice, a massive smile on her face. “Oh, hello, love.”</p><p>She hustled over to him, spatula in hand, and kissed him on the cheek. It wasn’t the greeting he was hoping for and wasn’t off the woman he wanted it from, but he supposed it was an excellent start to the morning nonetheless. He raised his eyebrows at Hermione over his mum’s shoulder as she hugged him, and a small smile crept over his girlfriend’s face. Unfortunately, it did nothing to alleviate the harsh look of all the bruises and cuts, but Ron found it easier to look past them after a few hours of sleep.</p><p>As soon as his mum let go of him, he headed over to Hermione.</p><p>“Did you sleep well for the rest of the night?” Remembering what she confessed last night about kissing her, Ron made sure to plant a soft kiss directly on her lips before smoothing the bits of flyaway hair off her forehead.</p><p>“Perfectly once you turned that stupid alarm clock off!”</p><p>“I was just trying to look after you.” He looped his arm around her shoulder and smiled as Hermione immediately leaned against him.</p><p>“I’ve brought that boy up very well, Hermione. But he’s never too old for a telling off from his mum. So let me know if he’s annoying you or playing up, and I’ll sort him out straight away. We’ll swap phone numbers before I leave, and I’ll make sure Charlie adds you to the family WhatsApp group.” Molly threatened Ron with the spatula before starting to serve up.</p><p>“You don’t have to cook for everyone, Mum. Harry needs to get off his backside once and for all and do something himself.” Ron was drooling from all the food she was pushing onto plates.</p><p>“I know, but Dad and I might go home this afternoon now we know that everyone is safe and okay. So I want to make sure you have one good meal in you. I bet you’ve been eating rubbish while you’re on tour. Why don’t you get Harry to help you set the table instead?”</p><p>Ron followed his mum’s instructions, working with his best friend to set plates and cutlery around the breakfast nook. He loved how she still had a lot of power over Harry and that his celebrity status didn’t phase her one bit. She wasn’t scared of putting him in his place if he needed it, and Ron was pretty sure his mum was one of the reasons Harry remained so grounded.</p><p>Soon, everyone was sitting around the table and tucking into Molly’s breakfast.</p><p>Sirius waited until everyone had finished eating before unfolding the paper he had finished  reading. “The stories are starting to break about what happened yesterday. I just wanted to make sure you are both aware. Ginny is used to seeing her face plastered all over the place, but Hermione—well, it might take a little more adjustment for you. Most of the stories seem to be in your favour. But of course, there’s one journalist who has taken the opposite opinion.”</p><p>Gingerly, as if the tabloid was cursed, Sirius passed it to Hermione.</p><p>“Let me guess.” Ron let out a sigh. “Rita Skeeter?”</p><p>“For some reason, she seems to be on Draco’s side. Luckily, she’s only dragging mine and Harry’s names through the mud. Although, watch out for the point where she insinuates you might be one of Harry’s many girlfriends, Hermione.”</p><p>“I have a few.” Harry puffed out his chest, and Ginny immediately rewarded him with a slap on the arm.</p><p>“How could she even think that?” Ron leaned into Hermione as he read the paragraph over her shoulder. “Everyone knows Harry is madly in love with Ginny.”</p><p>“It seems that doesn’t matter,” Sirius replied. “She has no reason to be nice. She knows what stories sell, and she’s out for Harry for whatever reason. It’s almost like she was in cahoots with Draco.”</p><p>Hermione seemed to take her time, her eyes barely moving over the page.. It was as if she was reading and digesting every single word. As she progressed through the article, a red flush crept over her cheeks, deepening in colour with every word. Finally having enough, she passed the paper to Ginny then sat back in her seat, chewing on her lip thoughtfully.</p><p>“I just wish there was something we could do to put a stop to her,” Ginny huffed, a scowl appearing on her face.</p><p>Ron watched Hermione with an amused smile. He could practically see the cogs turning in that brilliant mind of hers. Finally, she spoke up.</p><p>“Maybe there is.”</p><p>The look on her face caused Ron’s heart to speed up. Not even a day after she was rescued, and he was already starting to see the signs of the woman he fell in love with, breaking through all of the cuts and bruises.</p><p>“What are you thinking, love?” he asked.</p><p>“You said you got on pretty well with that Detective?”</p><p>“Kingsley, yeah!”</p><p>“Well, I think I may know of a way to get Rita to start reporting the truth and leave Harry alone. But I think I might need Kingsley’s help!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Rita Skeeter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hermione gets to know the Weasleys a little better before her final showdown with Rita.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>According to the members of the HPRomione Discord Server, this chapter is LATE, even though it is still Tuesday where I am. I dared to go out and have fun! :O</p><p>Nonetheless, it is finally uploaded and we finally get to see the Rita Skeeter arc wrapped up. Huge thanks to my betas, and everyone reading this story - we're getting towards the end now. If you enjoy it, please let me know xxx</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>With Mrs Weasley's delicious breakfast polished off, the table emptied quickly, leaving Ron and Hermione alone. Harry and Ginny retreated to the opposite end of the kitchen. Whilst Harry took on the mountain of washing up, his girlfriend sat on a stool to keep him company.</p><p>Hermione turned in her seat to face Ron, stretching her legs out over his lap and closing her eyes. A moan escaped her lips as he rubbed her feet softly, and they revelled in the quietness of the room.</p><p>"I'm still not sure about you throwing yourself headfirst into this, Hermione. You were only discharged from the hospital yesterday."</p><p>Hermione sighed. Carefully, she propped her elbow up on the back of her chair, being careful not to catch the bandage still protecting the stitches on her lower arm. Her head lolled against her hand.</p><p>"I need to do something. I'm not good at sitting around and doing nothing. I'm the worst patient. I need a distraction."</p><p>Ron let go of one of her feet and picked up the business card Sirius had left for them. He rotated it around his fingers before tapping it against the table. Kingsley's name and phone number stood out against the harsh white paper. Ron was thinking hard. He furrowed his brow, and he continued to fiddle with the business card. Hermione gave him the space to do so. Despite their short relationship, she knew that if she pushed him for an answer sooner than he was ready to give it, it could end in fireworks.</p><p>Finally, he offered her the card. "Fine, but on one condition."</p><p>"I promise I'll take it easy, and if I'm in too much pain or I'm tired, I will stop and rest."</p><p>"Well, that stands, but you also have to keep me involved in whatever harebrained scheme you're cooking up. You're not going to do this alone, okay?"</p><p>Hermione didn't think she could fall more in love with Ron, and yet here she was, her heart skipping beats over how wonderful he was being. Despite how tired she felt and how much pain she was in, she felt a smile spread across her face.</p><p>"I guess I could allow you to help me. You're the one with the connection to the police, after all." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "Plus, I'll need you to watch guard, just in case things get a little hairy."</p><p>Ron frowned. "What on earth are you planning on doing?"</p><p>"Nothing illegal." She tried to arrange her face into something innocent looking, but it was evident Ron saw straight through it. He raised his eyebrows and softened his frown. It looked like he was trying very hard to suppress a smile.</p><p>"Just be careful, love. You don't need any more drama right now. I only just got you back."</p><p>"And I don't plan on going anywhere, I promise." She stroked the hair on the back of Ron's neck. "If it makes you happier about it, I don't want to start straight away. Why don't we make a cup of tea and settle on the sofa with your mum and dad? I want to get to know them better."</p><p>Ron's face lit up, and Hermione knew she'd done enough to appease him. "Yeah? You and mum seemed to be getting on well this morning."</p><p>"Oh, I love them so much already, Ron. They've been so welcoming."</p><p>"That's brilliant. Why don't you go and get yourself comfy? I'll make the tea." He gave her another kiss then carefully pushed her legs from his lap before standing up.</p><p>The effort of getting out of the kitchen made Hermione's head spin. She took a moment to pause at the door frame, gripping hold of the wood until the dizzy feeling passed. Her body still hurt so much—every step sent pain shooting up her leg and radiating through to her ribs. Her head pulsed, making her feel nauseous. But she was determined to put on a brave face.</p><p>"Hermione, dear. Let me help you." Molly was coming down the stairs, just as Hermione began the second part of her journey into the front room. The matronly woman slipped an arm around Hermione's waist and helped her to the sofa, lowering her down gently. "Are you sure you shouldn't be in bed? I promise we won't think you're being rude."</p><p>"No, no, it's fine. I promise. I'm not one to sit around in bed for too long, and at the moment, my headache means I can't even concentrate on my book for any long lengths of time."</p><p>"Oh, I'm the same. I need to be doing something." Molly settled in one of the armchairs, then pulled a pile of knitting out of a bag. Arthur grabbed the newspaper Hermione had been reading earlier, then plonked himself into one of the other chairs.</p><p>Ron soon appeared with a giant pot of tea, mugs and biscuits. He served it up, then made himself comfortable on the sofa next to Hermione.</p><p>After a long sip of her tea, and after the warm liquid comforted her somewhat, she turned her face back towards Mrs Weasley. "So, tell me more about Ron and the rest of the children. Harry too. I feel left out not having been around for their childhoods."</p><p>"Oh, come on, Hermione." Ron buried his head against her shoulder. "I've told you most things."</p><p>"No, you have not. We've talked a lot, but I'm pretty sure I've only had the highlights from you." Hermione laughed and wrapped an arm around him. She was slowly starting to get used to being more public with her displays of affection, although she was pretty sure it would take her a while to be entirely comfortable with it. She relaxed into the cuddle when she felt Ron's lips against her temple, his kiss working like magic to soothe her battered body.</p><p>"Have you told Hermione that you're afraid of spiders, Ronnie?"</p><p>Hermione gasped. "No, he hasn't! I've seen first hand how he reacts to the sight of blood, but we haven't come across a spider yet, have we?"</p><p>Ron shuddered against her, so she squeezed him tighter to her side to reassure him.</p><p>"The twins used to love ganging up on the littles. They were unstoppable pranksters. Both Ginny and Ron bore the brunt of them, unless Percy was in the room, of course."</p><p>"Percy is an easy target," Ron added.</p><p>Arthur started to chime him. "Percy has often been seen as the brains of the group. He's very much a rule follower. Molly and I saved up and took the whole lot of them into London for a day out. Ginny must have only been about six or seven and Bill, eighteen. It cost us a lot of money, never mind the hassle of herding them all onto the train. But we had a lovely day out. We walked the entire width of the city. We couldn't afford to go into any of the landmarks, but we had fun standing outside of them anyway."</p><p>"The kids had saved up their pocket money over the year." Molly smiled fondly over at her husband. "Whilst on Oxford Street, the twins spotted a little joke shop, and they were <em>adamant</em> that's where they should spend their money. Arthur and I didn't really supervise them, and they were old enough to handle the transaction for themselves, so we just waited outside the shop for them.</p><p>"Anyway, it's a long day, and we finally get home and start getting Ronnie and Ginny bathed and ready for bed. Ron goes first then I send him up to bed. He's barely gone five minutes when all of a sudden, he lets out an almighty scream. I thought he was being murdered or something. I've never moved so fast in my life. We take the stairs two at a time, leaving Ginny in the bath, and we get to the top floor of the house to find poor Ron cowering in the corner of his room. It turns out the twins bought a bag of spiders and filled Ron's bed with them whilst he was in the bath."</p><p>"And I've never liked them since." The only visible part of Ron was the burning tips of his ears as he nestled closer to Hermione's arm in shame.</p><p>"Aww, that sounds like such an awful experience, sweetheart." Hermione did her best to suppress the chuckle and sound as though she cared about his discomfort of reliving the experience, but she struggled to keep her composure.</p><p>"Hermione, I can hear you trying not to laugh. Don't take the piss."</p><p>"I'm sorry, handsome." She threw Molly an amused smile before kissing the top of Ron's head. She raked her fingers through his hair in a vague attempt to comfort him. "I can look after you if you see a spider. They don't bother me."</p><p>"It'll be better than asking Sirius to do it. All he does is complain about it."</p><p>"And rightly so. You're the bloody security guy, Ron. It's your job to protect us." Sirius entered the room and perched on the arm of the chair. "What else do I pay you for?"</p><p>Ron's body grew tense under Sirius' words. Their boss didn't know any better, but Hermione knew how much what he'd said would affect her boyfriend. She slid her hand from the back of Ron's neck and down his back, rubbing his skin over his t-shirt reassuringly.</p><p>Her actions seemed to work. Ron raised his head and gave Hermione a small smile before turning to look at Sirius. "I'm here to protect you against humans, not creepy crawlies. And to drive your lazy backsides around, it seems!"</p><p>Sirius threw his head back and laughed. "Well, you'll be glad to know that I'm going to do my own driving today. I need to pop to the O2 and settle up with them. Hermione, I'll ask them to send a list of dates so we can try and rebook the concerts as soon as possible."</p><p>"The hospital only discharged her yesterday," Ron frowned.</p><p>"It's okay, Ron." Hermione rubbed his back a little bit firmer. "I have to get back to work sooner or later. I don't have long left on my contract, and Sirius needs to get his money's worth from me."</p><p>"Yeah, about that," Sirius grimaced. "I know you were hoping we'd have a meeting soon about it. I bet you're keen to know what's going on? Maybe at the end of the week, we can have a chat? When you're feeling a bit better, of course. And <em>do not</em> work until you're ready, you hear me?"</p><p>"I know. I'll try my best."</p><p>Molly and Arthur pushed themselves out of their seats.</p><p>"We'll say goodbye now, Sirius," Mrs Weasley spoke up, breaking the tension in the room. "We'll be heading home soon."</p><p>"Alright." Sirius turned back to Ron. "Harry and Ginny are out in the garden. I know they're safe there, but can you check in on them after a while?"</p><p>"Sure," Ron nodded. "A few of my guys will be along shortly, just to provide some extra cover for a while. I'll keep an eye on things until then."</p><p>Hermione watched as the Weasley's and Sirius left the room then slid her hand further down Ron's back, squeezing his hip softly to get his attention. He immediately turned his head, a puzzled look on his face.</p><p>"Are you okay?" he enquired, pushing a wayward curl off her forehead.</p><p>"I'm good," she smiled. "I just wanted to give you a kiss."</p><p>Ron didn't get the chance to protest or fuss. Hermione took the opportunity to capture his parted lips. Her skin screamed out in pain from the still fresh injuries, but she didn't care. She pulled away briefly, just to check he was okay with being kissed then, with a shaky breath, she moved in again, pushing it deeper this time. Her hand tightened on his hip whilst the other slid into his hair, tangling into his fiery locks. She had no intention of this going any further than snogging any time soon, but she just needed to show him how appreciative she was of his attentiveness and how well he'd been looking after her.</p><p>Eventually, she had to pull away for breath. Her nose grazed against his as her heart started to regain its usual pace.</p><p>"I love you, even though you're useless with blood and spiders."</p><p>Ron opened his mouth again, his skin flushed, and a dark look in his eyes that indicated he was about to argue back when the sound of his dad clearing his throat interrupted them.</p><p>"We're going to make our way home now we know you girls are okay. It's a long drive back to Devon," he smiled.</p><p>"Oh really?" Hermione pouted and started to untangle herself from Ron. "I was enjoying having you around and getting to know you both better."</p><p>Molly reentered the room and grabbed her knitting before scooping Hermione up into a hug. The brunette had barely known the Weasley matriarch for a day, yet Hermione already felt like a part of their massive family. Mrs Weasley had been welcoming and friendly, everything Hermione could have hoped for.</p><p>"Well, maybe Ron can bring you over to stay for a weekend? Or we can go to dinner with your parents. I'd love to meet them. We have tons of space now all of the children have moved out."</p><p>"I would love that. I should get Mum and Dad over from Australia and bring them down. I've never been to Devon."</p><p>"Well, that's settled then! We'll get the whole family together and have a big shindig. Heaven knows you all work hard enough and deserve a break. I'm always nagging Sirius to take it easy on you all."</p><p>Hermione watched with a fond smile as Ron said goodbye to his parents too. It took a while, but Molly and Arthur finally left the room to do the same with Harry and Ginny. As soon as they were alone, Ron turned back to Hermione.</p><p>"Do you need a rest or anything?"</p><p>"I don't think so." Hermione felt like she could easily sleep for the rest of the day, and she'd never been one for napping until she started spending time with Ron on the tour bus. But she had work to do, and the thought gave her the energy to push forward. "I want to ring Kingsley and get the ball in motion."</p><p>She could feel Ron eyeing her hesitantly and bit back the fleeting moment of irritation about his carefulness around her. She knew he was just trying to look after her, and he didn't deserve to have a telling off for that. So instead, she focused on arranging her face into a more determined look, trying to let him know that she wouldn't be distracted by rest.</p><p>Ron's shoulders drooped. He reached back to rub his neck with a sigh. "Fine, but don't you dare do too much."</p><p>"Yes, boss!" She saluted him. "Do you think Sirius will mind us using his office phone to get in touch?"</p><p>"No. He ordered us new phones, but they haven't come yet, so it's not like we have any other options." He held his hand out to her. "Come on then, let's get to work. You can ring your parents once we've made contact with Kingsley. I bet they'll be glad to hear from you instead of me and Sirius."</p><p>⁂</p><p>The Artesian Bar in the centre of London was quiet, which wasn't a surprise considering it was eleven on a Wednesday morning. Usually, it was bustling with high-end clients, but Harry had pulled some strings, as well as promising an exclusive intimate concert at some point to get them to open privately for their use.</p><p>Hermione had chosen it because of its neutral colours and Asian fusion decor. The large windows across the front of the cocktail bar let in a lot of light, making it comfortable and seem larger than it was, aided by the high Victorian ceilings. Its many alcoves and vestibules made it easy for Kingsley and Ron to sit out of sight but still keep a close eye on the two girls.</p><p>The wire the police officer had taped to her still bruised body reminded Hermione what they were there for. It brushed against her skin, causing a lurch of nerves with every movement. She sunk into her seat as she watched Kingsley finish sorting out Ginny and take a step back.</p><p>"Alright, both of you on your feet. Let me take a look at you."</p><p>Ginny took Hermione's hand as they stood up. Kingsley's eyes raked over their bodies in a way that might have been creepy if they hadn't been there for a reason, and the tall, dark-skinned policeman hadn't been so reassuring and friendly. After a few tweaks, he was confident that the wires were well hidden.</p><p>"Are we good to go?" Hermione kept her eyes firmly on the investigator, hoping to draw from his confident personality. She needed to present a strong face, or else the person they were here to see would take advantage of them. Ginny tightened her grip on her friend's hand as if to stop the slight tremor in it.</p><p>Ron stepped out from behind the bar and took a look at them, too, before glancing at Kingsley.</p><p>"I can't see a thing—you're all good. Sloper and Kirke are in their places." Ron nodded towards the spot he just left. The security guards were behind the counter, pretending to wipe glasses. "And the bar won't be opening until three, so we have plenty of time for Hermione and Ginny to speak to Rita uninterrupted."</p><p>"What if she tries to escape?" Hermione frowned.</p><p>"They move quickly, love. It'll be fine, I promise. Plus, Moody is waiting outside, just in case."</p><p>Seemingly done with Kingsley and Ron's appraisal, Ginny flopped into her seat. She rolled the sleeves of her blouse up, then pushed them down again before blotting her fingers against her forehead. Hermione settled next to her friend and placed a comforting hand on the redhead's lower arm. The girls met each other's gaze. There was an understanding there—they were both as nervous as each other.</p><p>Hermione and Ginny's friendship had grown stronger during and since the kidnapping a few days ago. They often found themselves seeking out each other's comfort in the middle of the night. Despite Ron and Harry's best attempts of looking after them (and both girls thought they were doing a fantastic job), nothing could replace the bond that had grown through the shared experience.</p><p>"Okay." Hermione gave Kinglsey and Ron a nod. "Rita will be here any minute. You two should take your positions. Ginny and I have got this."</p><p>Ron ignored her instruction and wandered over to their table, not quite ready to settle in his spot just yet. He squatted by the side of Hermione's seat and pulled her body gently towards him.</p><p>"You sure you're okay doing this?" His blue eyes peered at her under blonde eyelashes.</p><p>Concern flashed through his gaze, and Hermione felt a pulse of love for him. Sometimes it scared her just how close they'd gotten and how much they cared for each other, but the thought also brought her comfort. There was no way she could face this without Ron and Ginny by her side.</p><p>Harry hadn't been allowed to come. Sirius, Ron and Kingsley had unanimously agreed that it was too risky, especially if Rita was more involved with things than they'd first thought. Instead, Sirius, Colin and two security guards had gone to Fender to get a new guitar ordered to replace the one Draco had stolen. Although the police had recovered it from the house, they still had it locked in an evidence container, and Kingsley couldn't say when it would be released. Even if he got it back, the guitar was tainted now, and Harry wasn't sure he ever wanted to use it again.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine, I promise. I just want to get this over and done with so we can get on with our lives."</p><p>"Okay, but you know where I am if you need this to stop, okay?" He pushed a curl off her face before pressing a kiss against her lips. Seemingly deciding that Hermione would be okay, he eventually stood up and wandered back to the alcove he shared with Kingsley.</p><p>As if on cue, the door to the bar swung open.</p><p>Rita Skeeter's perfume preceded her, hitting Hermione's nostrils with a cloud of sickening florals. There was a bitter undertone to it, almost like decay, and it flipped Hermione's stomach over.</p><p>The journalist had dressed as if she was expecting a grander audience than just Hermione and Ginny. Her lime green business suit clung tightly to her large frame but did nothing to make her look feminine. It was almost as if she were posturing. Hermione looked down at her button-down summer dress, feeling strangely inadequate. Of course, she'd binned her business wear ages ago, but now she wished she'd kept something back, just in case.</p><p>Rita clattered across the bar and pulled out the chair Kingsley had set in front of the girl's table before sitting herself down in it. "Well, it's lovely to see the two of you out and looking healthy again."</p><p>Hermione raised her eyebrows. In her opinion, she looked worse than the day the police had rescued her. The bruises on her face were now a mix of deep purple and lurid green. Her lip had swollen to almost twice its normal size— although some of that may have been down to the amount of kissing she'd been doing with Ron.</p><p>Ginny caught Hermione's eye and smirked, immediately reassuring the brunette.</p><p>"I'd say take a seat, but you've already helped yourself." Hermione slipped one hand under her leg to stop the visible shake. "We promised you an exclusive interview ahead of this afternoon's press conference, and I don't want to waste your time with small talk."</p><p>"I must admit, Miss Granger. I was surprised to get your call. Girls like you prefer to spill all to <em>OKAY! </em>or <em>Cosmopolitan</em> magazine, and considering the stories I've already released about your <em>escapades</em>, I figured I'd be at the bottom of your list of potential journalists."</p><p>Rita's scarlet talons tapped against her crocodile-skin handbag as she placed it on the floor with a soft thunk. Immediately, she reached inside it, her eyes still trained on the two girls as she pulled out her phone and notepad and set them on the table in front of her.</p><p>"Well, that's why we wanted to get the story straight with you." Ginny gripped the table with both hands. Just as they rehearsed, they were bouncing between the two of them to talk to Rita. They needed to lull Rita into a false sense of security for this to work.</p><p>"What's in it for me?" Rita set her phone to record and cocked an eyebrow at the pair.</p><p>"Isn't getting an exclusive enough?" It was Hermione's turn to speak. "We're here alone. No Harry or Sirius to control what we say."</p><p>"Maybe it is." Rita grinned toothily. "It depends on the story. Why don't we start from the beginning? Which of you girls is going to speak up first? No doubt, you've had your story double-checked by the puppet master Sirius Black. I can't believe the two of you strong women are just mice that only let the men speak."</p><p>The journalist's eyes settled on Hermione as she said this, and the brunette felt a surge of rage. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself over the table and claw the snake's eyes out to cause her some severe damage. Rita had made both girls' lives a living hell the past few days, forcing them to relive their trauma in the worst ways. Instead, Hermione drew her lips tightly together and waited for Rita to find a spare page in her notepad.</p><p>Once the journalist looked ready to start, Hermione and Ginny started to tell their story. They'd already agreed, with Sirius' permission, to give her all the gory details. They wanted Rita to know precisely how horrifying their experience was, so they talked not only about what had happened but described the smells, the sights, everything.</p><p>"Then the police broke down the door, found us in the front room and arrested Draco." Hermione sat back in her chair, letting out a shaky breath and feeling drained. Retelling their story had been more harrowing than she thought it would have been, and she longed to be back in bed, preferably with Ron by her side.</p><p>In Rita's defence, the journalist's skin had grown pale, and her heavy-set jaw was wide open. But there was something about the woman that Hermione just couldn't put her finger on. She just couldn't accept Rita's face value. It could just be for show, after all.</p><p>"Well." For the first time, words seemed to fail the journalist. "That was...quite an ordeal you went through." She turned off her recording and closed her notepad.</p><p>"Yet, you continue to spill absolute shit about us. And Harry," Ginny spat.</p><p>Hermione sat upright, her heart pounding in her chest. This was no time to get distracted or let their anger lead them astray from the plan. This was the moment they would turn the tables on Rita. It was what she came here to do, and she was determined to see it through.</p><p>"Oh, poppycock," Rita scoffed. "I just write what the people want to hear. You think you're untouchable because you're famous, and you have a bunch of adoring fans. But if you look hard enough, you'll find more people who can't stand the sight of you. Sales of my paper have shot up since the two of you were led out of that house looking weak and small. Even that stupid looking policewoman looked good next to the two of you."</p><p>"How would you know that?" Hermione leaned forward, her face lighting up. She fixed her eyes firmly on the journalist.</p><p>"I beg your pardon?"</p><p>"How would you know what the two of us looked like? The police said everything happened way too quickly for the press to be there at our rescue. Yet your stories are accompanied by some high-quality images of Ginny and me. Ones we haven't permitted you to use. The police didn't take photos of us; they had more important things to do. Harry and Ron weren't. They were otherwise distracted."</p><p>"I don't know what you're talking about." Rita matched Hermione's glare, but an amused smile curled the corners of her lips upwards.</p><p>"I think you do. See, it didn't click together straight away for me, but how else did the press get those photos of us? Sirius released the pictures you were allowed to use. Just our headshots and details of our injuries. And then I remembered something that Draco said to us, just a few hours before we were rescued. Before I had to hit a goon around the head to try and escape."</p><p>Ginny's small hand curled around Hermione's knee. The brunette took comfort from it and took a shaky breath before continuing. "Did you know that I have never hurt anyone before? I've never thrown a punch or slapped someone. Do you know what having to do something like that does to someone like me? I hear that noise every night when I'm trying to sleep. It <em>haunts</em> me."</p><p>Hermione's voice broke, and tears started to form in her eyes. She took a sip of her water, letting the cool liquid roll down her throat and calm her. Once she'd drunk enough and the tears had stopped, she set the glass back on the table, rubbing her finger against the condensation.</p><p>"But before all that happened, Draco told us that he needed for Ginny and me to escape because he needed someone to 'tell the story correctly'. He named you as the journalist we should go to, which I thought was rather odd. Nobody knows the name of journalists, especially not those in the tabloids who mostly fly under the radar, unless you're notorious for something else. I mean, I only know who you are because we've had a run in before.</p><p>"But I pushed the thought aside and didn't spend any more time thinking about it. As Ginny and I explored the front room—feeling our stomachs churn as we rummaged through Draco's shrine to Harry, I spotted something else. Your business card." Hermione slipped it out of her pile of papers and pushed it towards Rita. "Which is odd. Why would your business card be at that doss house?"</p><p>Alarm filled Rita's eyes for a second, but she soon gathered herself together. "I don't know what you're trying to insinuate, Miss Granger, but I should warn you now to be <em>very</em> careful." The journalist started to pack up her things. "You are far from whatever you think the truth is. I have my story, and it will be published tomorrow. Now, I have to go if I want to make it across London in time for the main event."</p><p>"You went to school with Draco's aunt, didn't you? It didn't take me long to work it out—just a quick Google. Someone like you—your public information is all over the place. I searched for both of your names and found some common information. Then I just had to email the school, and they confirmed my suspicions pretty quickly."</p><p>Hermione pulled another piece of paper from her folder and turned it around to face the journalist. Rita picked it up and skimmed it, her hand shaking visibly.</p><p>"So what? I went to school with hundreds of people. It's just a coincidence. I don't even remember Bella and Draco could have gotten my card from anywhere."</p><p>Hermione's heart soared. Rita had walked straight into Hermione's trap, and the brunette struggled to keep the joy from her following words. "I didn't say her name was Bella. And as far as I'm aware, none of the press has mentioned her either. Why would they? She has nothing to do with the case."</p><p>"What do you expect me to say?" Rita stood up suddenly, rattling the table with her jerky movements. Her voice was shrill, almost at the decibel that only dogs could hear.</p><p>"No, it's not a coincidence. Bella and I are still friends now. I've helped her out with many a tricky situation. So when Draco was looking for someone to help him get revenge, they came straight to me. I was the one who taught Draco how to tap into your phones. He used my press passes to help him move seamlessly through your backstage areas. I was even the one who came up with the fan mail idea, although it took you a while to cotton on that something was happening.</p><p>"That child deserved all the money, and everything else Harry got instead of him. He's worked hard to bring some sort of success to his life. He's the one who suffered. But you have no proof apart from a couple of pieces of paper, which shows nothing. I could be just as much Bella's friend as…" She glanced down quickly. "...whoever Albus is. It means nothing, and even if you were to go to the police, it would be your word against mine."</p><p>"Actually."</p><p>Rita's eyes darted up as Kingsley moved across the wooden floor, every footstep a loud clunk in the otherwise empty bar. He walked quickly towards the journalist who was now stepping back from the table and towards the door, dismay in her face. Hermione spotted a pair of cuffs in his hands.</p><p>"We have it all recorded. Ms Skeeter, you are under arrest on suspicions of aiding and abetting a kidnapping. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence…"</p><p>The officer's words faded out as relief crashed over Hermione. She sunk back in her seat and raised a shaky hand to her forehead, disbelieving that her plan had worked and Rita had fallen for it. She guessed her law degree had come into play after all. She watched Kingsley continue his arrest of Rita, not even noticing that Ron had stepped beside her until he placed his hand on her shoulder, making her flinch violently.</p><p>"Hey, it's okay. It's only me."</p><p>Hermione stood up quickly and wrapped her arms around Ron. She buried close to him as Ginny did the same, both of them clinging on to the muscular redhead. Surprisingly, tears sprung from her eyes as the emotion of the day and the past week finally overcame her.</p><p>Ron held both girls closely, rocking softly back and forth until they both calmed down. Even after Ginny relinquished her grip and ventured to the front door to watch Kingsley and Moody push Rita into a police car, Ron continued to whisper comforting words to Hermione over and over.</p><p>With Draco already having admitted his guilt, this was one of the last hurdles for her to cross. All they had to do was wait for his sentencing, and then it would be finally over.</p><p>"I'm so proud of you," Ron whispered in her ear as he unwound one arm from around Hermione and tangled their fingers together. With his spare hand, he carefully pushed Hermione's face away from his chest and planted a hard kiss against her lips. Hermione melted into him happily, feeling all the weight of her ordeal finally drop from her shoulders.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>